


Zootopia X

by MetalFox2013



Series: Zootopia X [1]
Category: Rurouni Kenshin, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Blood, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Eventual War, F/M, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Neo-Imperialist, Neo-Shogunate, Romance, Smut, Tragedy, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2017-01-12
Packaged: 2018-08-12 06:47:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 286,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7924708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetalFox2013/pseuds/MetalFox2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After tending to business in the Mid-west, a fox has returned to the City of Zootopia. But upon hearing about the Missing predators case and Night Howlers, memories began to resurface from many years ago. And now it is time to tell the story of how he went from an innocent kit, to becoming the Battousai in the days of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate, to what has become of him now. This is Matt Wilde, and this is his Story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, Folks. Here's a fanfic I began working on roughly four to five months ago after this idea popped into my head. As the fanfiction says, it is a Crossover between Zootopia and Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X). And while this fanfic will be heavily based off of Samurai X: Trust and Betrayal, it will be a modern take on that film (to an extent), with Elements of Zootopia being added to the mix. Hope you guys enjoy the fanfic ^^
> 
> Zootopia is Copyright to Disney  
> Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) is Copyright to Nobuhiro Watsuki
> 
> EDIT 11/11/2016: For those new or rereading this story, I changed the appearance of Matt Wilde in this chapter. Instead of fur matching hair, his hair is now brown and even bears a brown goatee on his chin.

_ **Prologue** _

 

Various species of the mammalian race wander about the train station in Zootopia, from the smallest of prey to the biggest of predators. Whether it be trying to depart from the city or coming to the city as an arrival, it did not matter, for the station was rather busy of late. One of those arrivals happened to be a red fox with his long, brown colored hair being lowly tied back with a black ponytail, with his medium-long length bangs, along with some hair on the sides, remaining on the front. Similarly enough, a small, brown colored goatee can be seen on his chin that was bit thicker than his spring/summer coated fur. On his left cheek was a tan colored, rectangular shaped bandage, covering whatever the vulpine had on his face. What the bandage covered, nobody knew but the fox himself.

The fox himself walks towards the escalator and walks onto the large sized metallic step (which seemed to be able to company larger animals such as bears, wolves, lions, etc), letting the escalator take him up to the upper floor where the exit was located. The vulpine's attire consisted of a black denim vest with a midnight gray long john shirt underneath (the sleeves being pulled up to his forearm muscles). Black leather fingerless gloves occupy his hand-paws, with holes on the knuckles portion of them. His cargo pants were of a green camouflage color, with the leg openings being tucked into his black boots. On the back of the vest bore several patches on the back, the top patch bearing the words 'Defilers', and bottom patch bearing 'Zootopia' on it. The middle patch, on the other hand, depicted a fox skull with two katanas right behind the skull.

Speaking of Japanese swords, a medium length samurai katana was attached to the left side of his pants, the sheath being attached to the silver studded belt he wore. The design of the sheath was of a black color with a dark golden cord attached to the top part of the sheath. The blade length of the sword was a good twenty-six inches in length, with the handle of the sword being about eight inches in length. The hilt of the sword is covered in a black cloth with diamond shaped holes on the sides extending from the bottom of the hilt to the ring-shaped heft.

After waiting a short period of time, the escalator manages to take some of the arrivals to the upper floor leading to the exit, including the fox. Examining the environment around him, he notices notices the various other animals inside along with the types of transportation many of them used. For instance, anthropomorphic hippos used the underwater passageways and stood on top of the high velocity fans underneath to dry themselves off (for the most part), or how those of the rodent families used colored tubes to transport themselves to their destination. Now moving his attention towards the front, he notices the exit along with a few other canine mammalians bearing similar clothing, with the exception of having any weapons on him, and holding up a sign bearing the name 'Matt Wilde'. Seeing this made the fox nod at the sight before walking towards the group holding the sign, embracing the few canine males who waited for him inside the station.

"It's been a while, Matt, how have you been?", one canine male greeted with a soft smile on his face, who was an arctic folf bearing traits similar to an arctic fox and an arctic wolf. He was taller than any fox that existed, being about five feet ten inches tall, yet shorter than most wolves that lived. Medium-long jet black hair can be seen on the male's head, which was long enough to touch the upper part of the top rocker patch on his vest. His eyes were that of a light brown color

"Likewise, JP", Matt Wilde, the red fox, replied while placing his hand-paws inside of his vest pockets. "How have things been in Zootopia while I was out on business in the mid-west?" he asked with a curious tone before beginning to walk out of the train station, heading outside to the parking lot area.

"Well, aside from me, Kris, and Flynn here waiting for you for the past half hour, we're pretty much alive and running like usual", JP replied.

"But despite being glad to see you here, there's been some odd shit going on for the past couple days", Kris, a brown and white timber wolf, answered with his English accent while looking down at the fox with a pair of brown eyes while leading the group to the parking lot where their vehicles were located. The timber wolf was the tallest of the group, being about six feet three inches tall in height. Long, slightly darker brown hair occupied the wolf's head, which was long enough to touch the upper part of the skull and cross katana patch on his vest. Though what caught the attention of many was the fact he had a dark brown goatee on his chip and part of the upper lip, a trait that was uncommon amongst mammalians. If anyone were to compare the Kris with someone, he would be best compared with Kili.

"What do you mean?", Matt asked, cocking a slight brow not out of suspicion, but out of curiosity on what he meant behind their words. But before Kris could answer, Flynn, the white timber wolf grabs a hold of Matt's shoulder and causing the vulpine to turn and face him.

"Thor will explain everything once we get back to the club", Flynn replied, also bearing an English accent, before turning towards the parking lot up ahead. Flynn was the elder brother of Kris, not to mention being the same height as him. Unlike his brother, he bore dirty blonde hair along with his hair (for the most part) being brushed back. Parts of his hair were also braided while still brushed back as well. Like his brother, he bore some facial hair that many mammalians wouldn't usually bear, but was noticeably thicker than his brother's. Hell, his facial hair was thick enough to braid the mustache portion of his beard. If anybody would compare Flynn to anybody, he would be identical to Fili.

The group drew closer to the parking lot with each step, with Matt discovering they were not the only ones here to meet him. Then again, bearing identical vests with the same patches and whatnot usually meant there would be a big group of people waiting for you anyways. And just as expected from the small group, a bigger group of various predators (and a few large prey mammals) was roughly ten meters in front of them, on their bikes nonetheless, have been waiting for the small group to return, for Matt to return. While many mammalians there were of unique builds, one mammal stood out the most from the larger group. That mammal was none other than the Defiler MC president, Thor.

Thor was a timber wolf like his nephews, Flynn and Kris, but bore the fur colors of gray and white. His long, wavy black hair was brushed back, and his black beard trimmed down to the same size as Flynn's facial hair. Unlike where Flynn and Kris' eyes were of a brown color, his eyes were of an icy blue color, and they were gazing towards the direction of where Matt and the others were located. If any would compare him to anybody, he would be best compared with Thorin Oakenshield. The old wolf stands up from the seat of his bike and walks towards the others, his height being about six feet six inches tall, and places a gloved hand-paw onto Matt's shoulder before grinning softly.

"At long last, Matt Wilde. Welcome home", Thor greeted, bearing an English accent in his voice.

"Likewise, Thor", Matt replied before the Defilers president turns to one of the members and moves his head towards him. "I've also heard something's been going down recently. Mind telling me what's going on?" the vulpine asked, with Thor turning to face him upon hearing his question.

"I'll tell you everything once we get back to the club", Thor answered.

Shortly afterwards, one of the Defilers bikers, a large tiger to be precise, walks towards the group of canines with a Fox sized Hexer model Motorcycle before gently setting the vehicle down in front of the fox. Matt looks up to the male and nods at the tiger with a thankful gesture, walking to his bike and taking a seat on the leather padded seat. The other canines head to their respective bikes right after Matt had got onto his, all turning their bikes on with a turn of the key. Matt was thankful his was already provided with a key in the vehicle, allowing him to turn his bike on and making the engine roar as loudly as the others. Thor is the first to begin driving out of the parking lot, followed by Flynn, Kris, JP, Matt, then the rest of the bikers who tagged along. But as they began driving, they were stopped by a red light at the street needed to turn to get to the highway. The vulpine notices the two massively sized screens attached to the sky scrapers turning on at the new hour, and for him, it wasn't pleasant.

The two screens turned on to reveal Zootopia's pop singer, Gazelle, who interestingly enough was a Thompson Gazelle species and was most likely where her name had come from. Her fur colors were a mix of tan and gold, with some hints of brown and black here and there. Her dressed consisted of a glittery red top and a feather red skirt. Her blonde, wavy hair was facing the right side of her face, covering her right eye thanks to the angle her head was facing. And with her appearing on the huge screens, that meant only one thing….

"I'm Gazelle, Welcome to Zootopia", Gazelle greeted on the huge screens, only for Matt to raise his left arm and stick his middle finger right at the image of the pop star. Right as he flipped the screens depicting Gazelle off, the light coincidentally turns green and enables he and the other bikers to continue with their journey back to the club.

Matt began to look around the city of Zootopia to help get him reacquainted with the city along with the roads as he followed the other bikers to the club. As he made a right turn with the other members, Matt notices a female bunny in a police officer uniform and a casually dressed red fox having some sort of conversation. What was odd was the baby stroller the fox had with him, and why it was booted it the first place. But despite briefly seeing what was going on, along with some thoughts of familiarity regarding the two coursing his mind, he shrugs them off before refocusing his sights on the road.

They soon reach the highway that would lead them directly to Sahara Square, Sahara Square Freeway. Taking a right on the highway, the Defilers MC began driving around the various lanes on the road, passing each car rather quickly thanks to there not being as many during this particular hour. Reaching the exit needed to get off the highway practically took little to no time at all, ten minutes meaning nothing to the bikers thanks to driving at high speeds than the speed limit. Turning right on the exit and then left on the main road, they continue to drive about the city at a slower speed, yet fast enough to try and get to the club as quick as possible.

It was when they arrived to the Sahara Square District when Matt began to see missing signs on the signal light poles and on the windows of numerous shops and office buildings. Whatever it was that was going on, it must've been some serious shit. Taking one more left after passing four more signal lights did they make it towards the designated street. And there it was, the Defilers Motorcycle club, a four story bar located across the street from a corner store.

The bikers turn to the parking lot behind the bar and start parking their bikes on their designated spots, which the spots were based upon rank to rank. Thor was the first to walk towards the club, unlocking the door for the others before stepping foot inside of the bar. Everyone else happened to follow suit right after Thor had entered, Matt being the last person to enter since he was looking at the missing signs from numerous persons all over the area. And when he got in, he began to look upon the familiar sights of the bar.

The interior bar was pretty much the same as any other bar across the entire country, yet with a few minor exceptions. One of the obvious ones was the fact the bar had three extra floors to the place, which was rather convenient for some of the members of the Defilers since it was literally home to them. Another obvious trait this bar had was the fact it bore a fenced up stage, a stripper pole along with a set of instruments placed on the far right corner of the stage. The other floors bore different themes to them, such as gaming, shooting range, and so forth. But now was not the time to get reacquainted with the place. No, the fox's eyes were gazing towards the Defilers MC President, Thor himself, who was taking a seat at the bar area where the others were gathering around at. Matt walks over to the bar and takes a seat on the couch near the bar, sitting next to JP and Kris with his arms crossed.

"Gather around, brothers! Gather around", Thor yelled with a calm fashion, using his tone to get the attention of the other bikers. "One of our fellow brothers has returned to Zootopia after handling Business with the Defilers in the Mid-west chapters. Please give a warm welcome back wish to Matt Wilde!" he roared cheerfully, the other brothers howling, roaring, whistling, and even crying out Matt's name. The fox couldn't help but chuckle lightly at this and raises his right hand-paw up, moving it up and down slowly as if to get them to settle down.

"Guys, its great seeing you again in all. But I believe there are other matters we are in need to discuss", Matt said, wanting to change the subject towards the missing persons signs he had been seeing throughout the drive to the club. "For instance, I noticed there have been a large number of missing mammal signs throughout the entire city. Can you tell me what's been going on?" he asked, wanting either Thor or someone who knows of the situation. And although his fellow brothers wanted to celebrate his return, they understood the need to discuss the matter. Now everyone's attention, including Matt's, shift towards the Zootopia Chapter President at the bar.

"I was about to get to that, Matt", Thor replied, turning to face the rest of his fellow biker brethren inside the bar. "Recently, there have been a growing number of missing persons cases surrounding some of the citizens of Zootopia, specifically towards the predators themselves", the chapter president claimed, causing quiet chatter amongst the other members of the club. That had actually, genuinely grabbed the fox's attention right off the bat, cocking a curious brow towards the chapter president in response to hearing the type of people that were going missing.

"Wait a sec!" Matt calmly exclaimed, standing up from his seat and walking towards the old wolf at the bar. "You're telling me the predators are the one's going missing?" he asked, placing his hand-paws inside the vest pockets. He was genuinely interested in hearing this, and he wanted to know more on the matter.

"That's correct, Wilde", Thor answered. "As for the reason why only the predators are going missing, or what's become of them, I do not know", the wolf added, turning away from Matt and begins to pace slowly towards the end of the bar. "However...", he started, turning around and pacing towards the other side of the bar. "But all I know of at this time is they're starting to disappear almost rapidly, and something must be done to deal with the matter".

"Thor, is it possible someone in the city might be having a nasty agenda towards predators in general?" A random biker asked, who's species was a silver fox.

"Perhaps…." Thor answered calmly. "But let us not jump into conclusions on the matter though, not until we gather enough information on whatever's going on exactly", the wolf added, turning his body towards his brethren and looking at all of them straight in the eye. "But I will say this, however. I do not intend on having us predators becoming missing, nor for anything to happen to our fellow prey brethren who are with us", the president said with a reassuring tone. But before the chatter could progress, a black jaguar raises his hand-paw up and begins to approach the chapter president. Thor notices this and turns to face him. "Kyle Manchas, what do you need?"

"Thor, my younger brother, Renato, told me something similar to the missing predator's case last night over the phone, and I think this relates to what we're talking about", Kyle began, grabbing everyone else's attention, including Matt's. "He told me he was taking Mr. Otterton to go speak with his boss, Mr. Big about something Emmitt discovered", the jaguar explained. "I can't exactly recall what else had happened, since my brother was rather panicked about something relating to that night", he recalled, with the chapter president approaching the jaguar rather curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Thor asked, the eyes of everyone inside the bar gazing towards Kyle with curious interest.

"As I said, I can't exactly recall what else he told me that happened on that particular night", Kyle replied, placing his hand-paws inside of his vest pockets before letting out a calm sigh. "However, I do recall him mentioning something about 'Night Howlers' or something like that", he added. And right as soon as night howlers were mentioned, Matt's eyes widened with a strong sense of surprised. But this wasn't an ordinary sense of surprise, but a familiar sense of it. However, he needed to be sure if all of this information was accurate. He needed some time to think. With this in mind, the fox walks towards the set of stairs nearby, only for Thor to spot him upon seeing him.

"Matt, where are you going?" Thor asked with a tone that bore a mixture of seriousness and curiosity in it. The vulpine turns his head towards the chapter president's direction before beginning to speak.

"I need some time to think to myself, get settled if I may", Matt answered. Although Thor preferred for him to stay, he nods towards the vulpine and grants him that request, albeit reluctantly.

"Alright, you may go ahead and get settled as you wish", Thor replied, with the fox giving him a thankful nod in return. He walks upstairs and heads into the computer room, shutting the door behind him and walking towards the ICarrot computer. He presses the power button on the back of it and walks towards the mirror, which was attached to the wall adjacent to the wall where the computer was stationed.

Seeing the reflection of his own face, particularly the bandage on his right cheek, reminded him of everything he's went though. Using his right hand-paw to grab a hold of the bandage, the fox slowly removes the bandage off of his face to avoid accidentally removing too much fur off of his left cheek. Though regardless of his efforts, a few strands of his fur was ripped off from the sticky bandage being on his cheek. He throws the bandage into the trash bin and turns to face the mirror once more.

On his left cheek, a cross shaped scar can be seen, the very scar that the bandage hid from the public eye. Tracing his right index finger over the scar gently, past memories began to resurface from the back of his mind. The fox turns his attention back to the ICarrot computer and walks towards the machine, removing his samurai katana from his belt and placing it on the desk next to him. He logs onto the computer and takes a seat on the provided chair, pulling up a new libreoffice writer document and began to type up some words into the document.

" _It is said that_ _everybody's story begins_ _once you have been brought to this earth._ _And although I was born in the City of Zootopia, it wasn't where my story began, for mine bega_ _n_ _when_ _I was only a child, the point in which_ _my life took an unexpected turn_

_My name is Matt Wilde… and this is my story…._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This work is also posted on Fanfiction.Net in case you wish to check it out there, too.


	2. The Tragedy that Started it all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: As of 11/11/2016, this chapter was edited in a way to make it stronger, such as rearranging it accordingly and changing the relationship between Matt and Karen. Karen is no longer Matt's mother, but now his aunt.

_ **The Tragedy that Started it all** _

  


**_Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo,_ _night, June 7_ _th_ _, 2001_ **

The moonlight shines upon the Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo, which was located about half-an-hour away from the Tri-Burrows Correctional Boot Camp on foot. The moon's reflection can be seen on the small lake along with some of the wet rocks near the lake. Nothing but the cricking of crickets, the nightly crowing of the crows, and the peaceful howls of the wind blowing through with tranquility. And in this peaceful environment, a lone wolf sits upon the sitting stone with a stone bottle of saki next to him, and a small cup in his hand-paw. Taking a sip of the cup as he did, the saki travels directly into his stomach before he looks up towards the moonlight.

The wolf fur was of a snow white color, and bore a physique that was phenomenally developed, one that wolves didn't usually bear. His hair is jet black and long, and most of it was kept in a pony tail, his eyes also bearing a color almost identical to the color of his hair. The attire he wore consists of a set of black cargo pants with European styled combat boots, and a blue, short sleeved, Japanese styled kimono shirt. Attached to the left side of his pants was a fairly long katana, with the heft and sheath of the sword being made of wood and bearing no hilt whatsoever.Lastly, a floor length, red and white cloak is worn over the blue shirt. The red and white cloak served as an heirloom of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, serving the bearer by maintaining his or her strength during peace time. But tonight, the look the wolf wore on his face says otherwise.

“The moon peers down upon a diseased world”, the wolf thought in his mind, standing up from the sitting stone and grabbing the bottle of saki by the rope attached to it. He walks along the designated path inside the dark forest and follows the moonlight at the end of the pathway. His look remained unchanged, the seriousness of his eyes gazing towards the path that lies ahead of him. The darkness of the forest vanished once he was out in the moonlight, using the light as a guide to follow along the path. “There is no cure for the disease. An entire race walks mindlessly into its destruction. Not even a mammal of colossal power would be able to prevent the inevitable”, the lupine continues his train of though, moving towards the direction where the Correctional Camp site was coincidentally located. With his right hand-paw gripping the hilt of his long katana, he continues to walk along the path with caution.

* * *

 

_**On the Road in the Tri-Burrows area, earlier that afternoon** _

The countryside was rather quiet, as there isn't many people driving on the road through the heat wave. Spring was coming to a close, and Summer was just around the corner. And the only sounds that were being made in the countryside a few hours away from Zootopia was nothing but the rustling of the leaves, the quiet howls of the wind, and nothing more. Though within a matter of minutes, that began to change, for a blue 2001 Hounda Civic Si was driving through the open road at a rather fast speed.

The occupants inside the car were two foxes, a vixen and her nephew to be precise. But one thing was certain: the vixen inside the car was **NOT** in a very good mood right now. Roughly about two weeks ago, the mother of the kit had received a call regarding the amount of trouble her son had gotten into that day. And unfortunately for the vixen driving the car, she was with her sister at the time it happened. Since then, arrangements were made and the two had left Zootopia a few hours earlier to take care of some business.

The vixen herself was roughly within her mid to late forties, yet bore the appearance to that of someone in their late twenties to early thirties. Her green eyes that were usually peaceful were lit up with a fiery rage, yet was able to remain calm. Her clothes consisted of a purple T-shirt, a pair of khaki pants, and a pair of brown heels, with holes crafted on the toe area to help give the shoes a unique design.

As for the male kit, however, he was about the age of nine, with the appearance matching the same age. His green eyes were usually lit with excitement, but in this situation, the fires were not lit in them. In fact, they were staring blankly towards his own feet paws, which were covered in a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor's. The clothes he wore consisted of a dark gray tank top with a white fox head design on the chest area, along with a pair of sanded blue jeans with holes on the knee area. The small kit lets out a soft sigh before looking towards his mother with a soft, genuinely saddened expression on his face.

“Sorry, aunt Karen….” the young kit said softly towards his mother before turning away from his aunt. The vixen lets out a heavy sigh from her muzzle.

“Matt…. I don't wanna hear another word out of you”, the vixen replied calmly, yet with a firmly angry tone in her voice. She wasn't expecting to take her nephew out to the countryside for a camping trip. But its not the usual camping trip, however, but one that a parent or legal guardian is required to attend after their child had gotten into a certain amount of trouble somewhere. Speaking of getting into trouble, though… “I'm already aggravated with the fact Marian had to work today, and I was left with no choice but to take you to the correctional camp myself. I just wished you could've avoided getting into trouble on the last day of school, Matt. I could've been on the west coast visiting my boyfriend, but no! Now I'm having to cancel the trip and attend an outdoor correctional program because of YOU!” she growled before slamming her right fist on the steering wheel, the kit flinching, shutting his eyes, and even whimper next to his aunt in response.

“Sorry….” Matt apologized for a second time, a couple tears beginning to stream down his face and a couple sobs escaping his small muzzle. The mother manages to pull up at a red light and turns to her son, letting out a soft sigh before placing her right hand-paw onto her nephew's left shoulder.

“Look, I know you feel bad about what you've done, but I wish you could've handled things differently”, The vixen said softly, not out of anger, but with a calm tone. “I just wish things could've turned out differently, ya know”, she added following a soft sigh, recalling the events that lead up to this point.

* * *

 

_**Last week, May 30 th, 2001** _

_The last day of school was usually the day that would lighten the hearts of all students, whether its from the last day of preschool to the last day of their senior year in high school. Though that wasn't the case for Zootopia Elementary school, particularly those in the third and fourth grade classes. Around lunch time, Matt and several other third and fourth grade students have gotten into a serious fight in the middle of the cafeteria. A few teeth were knocked out, several cuts and bruises were laid upon, and one mammal was stabbed on the leg with a switch blade knife one of the fourth graders had brought with them. However, one of the students was able to knock the fourth grader out our of pure adrenaline. And that student was none other than Matt Wilde. While he suffered a few cuts on the arm as a result from being slashed from the knife, that was one of the prices he had to pay in order to stop him from potentially killing somebody. Although suffering a few injuries was the price to pay, that wasn't the only price he had to pay…_

_Now he, along with most of the other students involved were sitting inside the office waiting to talk with the Principal of the school, one of the students having been sent to the hospital after being suffering multiple stab wounds on non-vital regions, and the fourth grader having been arrested for possession of a weapon and assaulting another student on school grounds. However, explaining the situation was no easy matter, for the principal had began scolding them about how wrong it was to fight on school grounds, regardless if it were offensive or defensive. And to make matters words, the principal phoned the parents of the students involved and informed them to meet in his office right away. And holy hell was one hectic meeting about to unfold._

_Within a matter of ten to fifteen minutes, the parents (single or not) arrive to the school and met with the principal's office to discuss everything that had happened. The students involved tried to explain to their parents what had transpired, but the parents were too infuriated to listen to what they had said. After all, this was a rather shocking event to transpire on the last day of school, almost to the point where the parents couldn't comprehend all of it at once._

_The meeting lasted for a couple of hours, most of it having being nothing but arguing amongst who had started the whole mess, how their kids were good and who was expected to apologize. Fortunately, the students were given a chance to explain everything that had happened during lunch hour, deciding to let them explain from their point of view on what had happened. Many other students were called into the office after they had explained what had happened, deciding it was time to hear the eyewitness accounts and hear what they had to say about it. The students arrive and they began to explain from their point of view on what had happened, from the cause of the fight, to the end of it with Matt knocking out the fourth grader who brought the knife to school. After explaining their case, the witnesses were dismissed and allowed to return to their class._

_Now it came to the conclusion to what the punishment must come for the students: all of them must be required to spend half of their summer vacation a correctional boot camp site located about three hours away from the city. Man, if you were at the meeting, you could see the eyes of the students getting as large as medium sized kick balls due to the amount of shock they received after hearing this. All of the parents of the students have left the building for the remainder of the day, all except for Matt Wilde, his mother, Marian Wilde, and his aunt, Karen Longstride, since the principal had asked them to remain in the room to discuss the matter further._

“ _Alright, Marian, I asked you, you sister, and your son to remain here, since I want to discuss further details regarding your son's punishment”, the Principal, whom was a black spotted jaguar, said calmly towards both the motherly vixen and the other who had accompanied her._

“ _What do you mean?” Marian asked as calmly as she could, already having been stressed out enough after everything that had transpired._

“ _What other details did you want to discuss with us now?” Karen asked all while she crossed her arms and glared at the other m_

“ _After hearing much of the students' explanations and witness accounts, I've decided to cut the amount of time he would be required to stay at the camp in half”, the principal replied, with Matt looking up towards him with a surprised look on his face. Not one of horror, however, but one that was out of relief._

“ _Well that's good to know, at least”, Marian replied calmly, despite the angered look she bore on her face. And although she was genuinely relieved to hear this, she still wasn't happy about the whole ordeal. She turns to face her son with her arms crossed, her glare being as stern as a martial arts master. “But that does not excuse the fact that you got into got into a fight with the others. And you're in for a world of trouble when we get home, Matt!” the vixen added sternly, her son winching and whimpering upon hearing her tone. She raises her right index finger and pointing it towards her son. “Do I make myself clear?”_

“ _Yes, Mom”, Matt replied quickly, picking up his backpack and placing it over the shoulders. The principal dismisses the Wilde family from the office so they can continue with their day._

_Speaking of their day, how eventful did that get. Upon arriving home, Marian practically got onto her son a lot more verbal than she normally would. From there on, he was told he had to clean up the house and was restricted from playing any games until after he served his time at the camp. And the day would come much sooner than he wanted it too…_

* * *

 

_**June 7 th, 2001** _

Alas, the day to head for the camp has finally come, having felt late in the afternoon after unexpectedly having overslept. And after a few quick hours of driving to the location (fortunately with very little traffic on the way), the two arrive to the camp and began searching some potential locations to park at. But during the search, Karen couldn't help but begrudgingly recall the events that led her to this situation.

The night before Matt were to depart, Karen had already made flight arrangements to the west coast to see her long distance boyfriend. But those plans were abruptly cut short, however, when her sister, Marian had called her and informed her of her situation. She had explained to Karen she was required to work mandatory overtime hours at her second job and was unable to take Matt to the Tri-Burrows Correctional Camp. Marian had pleadingly asked her sister if she could take her son to the Correctional Camp in the morning. Although highly reluctant, she agreed and was forced to cancel her planned trip to the west coast, along with making an unwanted phone call to her boyfriend and inform him of the last minute situation.

Now, here she was at the Correctional Campsite looking about the entire parking lot for a parking space. After discovering the front lots being occupied, she was forced to search the lots farther from the front parking spaces in order to find an appropriate spot. Fortunately for her, the wait wasn't long, for about a minute after their arrival, she spotted a parking spot in one of the middle rows and immediately drove into the vacant space. Karen kills the ignition to the car and pulls the keys out of the slot, stepping out of the car with Matt following suit.

“C'mon, Matt. The sooner we get to orientation, the better”, Karen grumbled, not wanting either one of them attending orientation for the correctional boot camp. But unfortunately, fate had chosen otherwise. Karen grabs a hold of her nephew's hand-paw and walks towards the orientation meeting as quickly as she could in order to avoid being late. But one thing for sure was they weren't the only ones trying to get inside quickly, lines already getting packed by the second. Man, this is gonna be one hell of an evening for the two…

Getting into the Correctional Boot Camp Orientation meeting wasn't an easy job for many families, especially for the Wilde family themselves. The lines were rather hectic to say the least, with the workers being inefficient with trying to get them inside for orientation. Hell, many of the families were even debating if whether or not waiting in line to get to the site was even worth it because of such a monstrous line. However, despite the impatience many of them had built over the past few hours, all of them remained in line until they were all registered to enter the camping grounds. Now it was time to attend the meeting, a meeting in which should've began hours ago.

All the families having required to have their children attend to the Correctional Boot Camp were preparing to get seated, their eyes gazing towards the stage right in front of them. Unlike the registration workers at the front, at least the mammalians on stage were completely prepared ahead of time. Or was it perhaps they were needing to finish making the preparations at the last minute and the registration workers deliberately stalled for time? Who knows. But either way, they were completely prepared to give out the orientation once everyone's been seated. Fortunately, the large outdoor lights were turned on brightly to provide enough light for the mammalians to see.

On stage, a dozen predatory mammalians were standing in front of a crowd of roughly about two hundred mammals before them, most of them predator and a few being large prey. One thing the mammals on stage had in common were the military uniforms they wore, all consisting in various shades and tints of green, the only thing that wasn't green were the shoes they wore, which the combat boots were made of a black, shiny leather of sort. What kind of leather, nobody knew. However, now was not the time for such a question, as a well built orange Siberian tiger walks towards the microphone stand and clears his throat, the noise echoing loudly through the provided Marshall speakers behind the mammals on stage.

“Good evening, ladies and gents! We apologize for the unexpected delays of trying to get everything together. We were not notified quick enough about the date in which the orientation was to be held”, the tiger greeted, a slight hint of a Russian accent apparent in his voice. He places his hand-paws behind his back and looks upon the large crowd in front of the stage. “But despite the delays of the orientation, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Johan Rascalov, and I am the Commanding Sergeant who's running this facility, and for those attending this program, it is in your best interest to become acquainted with my name”, the male added, the audience looking directly at the male with mixed emotions on their face, whether it be calm, curious, or even frightened. “Now then, before we begin, is there any questions any of you would like to-” the feline began, only to be cut off when the field lights suddenly shut off unexpectedly. Many parents and children were beginning to panic because of the unexpected outage. But one of the predator privates, a German Shepherd, walks towards the audience with a megaphone in hand. Pressing the trigger with his right index finger, the German Shepherd raises the megaphone towards his mouth.

“Everyone please remain calm!” The German Shepherd Private exclaimed calmly through the megaphone as an attempt to calm the newly frightened audience down as much as possible. “Some of our officers are about to check the generators to find out the cause as we speak!” he exclaimed again with a reassuring tone before he turns to face towards three other predators, a lion, a wolf, and an arctic fox respectively. He moves his left hand towards the direction where the generators were located. The three nod towards the male and pull out their flashlights attached to their belts, where they immediately rush towards the generators with haste. But what the trio was about to find out would be enough to cause panic amongst the mammalians.

About a minute after rushing towards the generators, which were located at a two story building about a hundred meters away from where the stage was located. They Make a left turn behind the building and point their flash lights towards the generators. Their discovery would lead to the real cause of the generators' sudden outage. They discover the generators themselves weren't tampered with, but the power lines attached to the them have been cut… and rather cleanly at that. The arctic fox grabs a hold of the radio and presses the button to it, while the lion and wolf grab a hold of their 9mm Glock pistols, aiming them towards the fields and woods around them.

“Commander, the power lines were cut!” the arctic fox exclaimed towards the speaker, suddenly turning to face the other predators, seeing them aiming their weapons at various directions in a mild state of panic. “Someone must've-” that was all he could say before feeling something sharp pierce right through his neck, his eyes lowering towards the object that pierced his neck. Alas, the blade that appeared to belong to a katana was what stabbed right through his neck, and was the last thing he saw before the blade suddenly slashes upward, hacking his skull in two and emptying the bloody contents inside. The other two predators turn to face the perpetrator behind the sudden attack, only for the two to suffer a similar fate as their comrade. The lion was decapitated by another swordsman while the wolf was vertically sliced in two by a third assailant. And when the two bodies collapse onto the ground, its bloody contents spraying about like a fountain, the radio began to make static noises and the recipient on the other line began to speak.

“Leon, Richard, Johnny! What's going on? What the hell happened?!” Johan exclaimed on the other line, the assailants grinning towards the radio on the ground before disappearing in the darkness of night. On stage, the Tiger's eyes widen slightly upon losing contact with his men before turning towards the audience. “Everyone, remain calm and please evacuate the premises in an orderly fashion!” the commanding sergeant ordered, with everybody beginning to rush out of the camping site and towards the exit, including Matt and his aunt, Karen. But as some of them reached it, their bodies were suddenly hacked by the blades of numerous assailants. This caused everyone to turn around and flee from the scene as fast as they could. Johan immediately noticed this and turns towards his fellow predators. “We have intruders on the scene! We must protect the others from the assailants!” he exclaimed before turning to face the exit and rushing towards it, the other predatory corporals and officers following suit. But as they drew close, half of the corporals and officers were suddenly butchered by the blades of the katana wielding assassins.

While the commanding sergeant and the corporals and officers engaged in battle against some of the assailants, many of the attendees began to rush around the registration venues to try and find alternate pathways to get to their vehicles. Unfortunately for them, despite their best efforts to avoid the assailants, many were sliced, diced, and brutally murdered by the hands of the assassins who had come out of nowhere. Nobody expected a tragedy like this to happen, not even the Matt and his aunt. How could've anyone expected this to happen. Just as Karen and Matt were able to spot an opening, a random assassin, a brown, black, and white furred timber wolf dressed entirely in black and red, suddenly appears out of nowhere and prepared to strike the two. But instead of being hacked by his blade, however, a 9mm bullet pierces through the left side of his skull, causing the assassin to drop dead onto the ground. The two foxes turn to face the direction where the bullet had come from, discovering it was one of the officers from the stage, a brown and white husky, that took care of the job.

“Thank you!” Karen exclaimed graciously towards the husky, grabbing her nephew's hand-paw and running towards the parking lot as fast as she could. Unbeknownst to her, Matt had grabbed a hold of the heft of the dead wolf's sword and took the blade with him, just in case….

“Don't worry about it, ma'am! Get your kit out of here before-” the officer was about to finish before getting stabbed right through the stomach region, the assailant turning the sharp end of the blade upward and pulling the sword up quickly. The husky's bloody contents suddenly spray out of his body like a fire hose shooting out water rapidly, painting the grassy soils a crimson red.

Luckily for the family, Karen and Matt manage to make it to the parking lot without any further interference from the assailants. Despite them making it to the lot, however, they were greeted with a handful of other survivors who were trying to escape in their vehicles. However, there was one major problem that all of the survivors have in common….

“Dammit!! Those bastards cut the engines to all of our cars!” One male, a Thompson's Gazelle shouted with a panicked tone of voice, his kids whimpering in a similar tone while trying to hide within the safety of their car. However, the Gazelle quickly grabs a hold of his kids and begins sprinting towards the road. “We gotta hightail outta here, kids!” he shouted, sprinting closer towards the road with each step he made, his kids quickly following suit. “We have to get-” unfortunately, he wasn't able to finish what he was saying thanks to another assassin beheading the father right in front of his own kids. Their kids began to scream in horror, but they didn't last much longer themselves, as they, too, were butchered by the same assassin in a similar, horrific manner.

Shortly after the assassin dispatched the Gazelle family, he was soon joined by several more assassins, all marching towards the remaining survivors at a decent pace. They weren't in a rush to kill them. No, they were taking their sweet time trying to get to the remaining survivors. Somebody had to do something quickly if they were gonna make it out of this alive. And the only person who was willing to fight back was none other than Matt Wilde, taking a few steps forward and raising the sword he picked up. With a loud roar, he began rushing towards him, only to be pulled back by three pairs of hand-paws and accidentally cause the kit to drop the sword onto the concrete lot. His aunt and one other female, a raccoon dog, shielded the kit from the approaching assassins, while a third and final surviving adult, another raccoon dog, had approached the assassins as an attempt to plead with them.

“Please, don't hurt him! AH!!” The female raccoon dog screamed in horror right after she was brutally sliced diagonally by one of the assailants. The second raccoon dog immediately stands up and rushes towards the other, freshly killed raccoon dog, leaving Karen to shield her own nephew from the approaching assassins, her right hand-paw being placed behind her son's head.

“Sister no!! AH!!” The second sister screamed in horror right as she was suddenly stabbed right through the chest area, with the assassin twisting the sword upward and pulling it in the same direction, with Karen and her son watching in horror upon witnessing what had transpired. Blood began to splatter from the second raccoon dog's newly deceased body and towards their direction, with Karen leaning forward and covering her nephew from the upcoming blood splatter. She was able to prevent the blood from hitting Matt by shielding him with her back. Tears were now streaming down her face, and she knew the inevitable was bound to happen…

…and she's accepted that fact. But she couldn't let that same fate that befallen on the others happen to her nephew. No, she must do something about this quickly. She choked back a few sobs before closing her eyes, leaning forward and planting a kiss on her nephew's forehead, reopening her eyes right after she kissed his forehead.

“Matt! Matt, you must listen to me! Your life hasn't been written yet, and you've got to stay alive!”, Karen exclaimed, choking back another sob before gently planting a second kiss on his forehead, hearing the sobs coming from her own son. “Listen to me! Our fates have already been set tonight, but you have to survive to honor those who died”, she exclaimed, right before she felt one of the assassins, a silver fox, pulling on the back of her hair, a loud scream escaping her muzzle. “Run! Save yourself!” she exclaimed, right before the assassin holding the vixen pierced his blade right through her neck, Matt's eyes widening in horror upon witnessing the assassin stabbing her neck with a katana. Slowly, the silver fox pulls his blade out and drops the nearly deceased vixen on the ground. But the vixen's will to live prevented her death, her final words beginning to escape her muzzle in rasping, dying breaths. “Please, Matt…. Live for me… please…. Never give up….”

“Silence, you wench!” The silver fox growled aggressively before striking the vixen down by piercing his blade through her skull, killing her in an instant. Matt was outright shocked, no, terrified of what he had just witnessed. His aunt, the only relative who helped his mother raise him and his siblings shortly after his father left the family when he was younger, was now lying dead in a pool of her own blood.

Unless he found a way out of this mess, he knew without a doubt he would be next on the list! His eyes gaze towards the assassin who had killed his aunt and notices him raising his blade for the next kill. But right as the older vulpine was about to go for the kill, the cries of his fellow assassins ceased his actions, causing him to turn around and notice most of them getting eliminated with one swing of a swordsman's blade, the blood of his comrades splattering across the parking lot. And his eyes widen upon who it was who killed his comrades.

The mammal who had killed the assailants was an arctic wolf, whose fur was of a snow white color. But if anything was intimidating, it was definitelythe phenomenally developed physique he bore, one that wolves didn't usually have. His hair is jet black and long, and most of it was kept in a pony tail, his stern eyes also bearing a color almost identical to the color of his hair. The attire he wore consisted of black cargo pants, European styled combat boots, and a blue, short sleeved, Japanese styled shirt. Attached to the left side of his pants was a fairly long katana, with the hilt and sheath of the sword being made of wood and bearing no hilt whatsoever. Lastly, a floor length, red and white cloak is worn over the blue shirt. And despite the intimidating image of the arctic wolf, the silver fox raises his sword in preparation for battle.

“Who are you?!” the silver fox growled, clutching on the hilt of the blade tightly with his hand-paws.

“You won't be alive long enough to remember my name”, the arctic wolf answered with a calm tone of voice. The silver fox rushed towards the wolf with great speed, but his life was suddenly taken with several horizontal and diagonal slashes, his body literally being hacked to several pieces in a fraction of a second. Despite the bloody contents spraying across the concrete lot, Matt's eyes were not focused towards the remains of his mother's killer. No, his eyes were focused on the mysterious wolf who had slaughtered the assassin. And one question was forming inside of his head….

“How could he hack somebody within a mere fraction of a second?” Matt thought in his mind, his eyes as wide as they could possibly get. The wolf, on the other hand, raises his blade and grabs a hold of the white cloth of his robe, using it to clean the blood off of the blade he bore in his possession.

“I do not know why I have been by this place. Be glad I did”, The arctic wolf said to the kit with a rather calm tone, cleaning the blade with one swipe before placing the sword back in its wooden sheath. “You may hate these murderers, but that will not bring your mother back”, he continued before beginning to walk towards the kit, passing by him within a mere few seconds. “Let your survival be your family's memorial”, the wolf finished, turning his head to the left and looks back at the kit a few feet behind him. He turns towards the front and continues walking along the path he had taken. “Death no longer terrifies mammalian kind. The smell of blood is as common as the smell of white plums. So, he creates savagery and slavery, which surpass the horror of dying. These could only be fought with more bloodshed… and the cycle never ends”, the wolf concluded in his mind before entering another path in the dark forest, using its pathway to lead him to a local town and into the darkness of night.

* * *

 

_**The next day, sunset** _

The evening has come rather quickly for the wolf, and was unsure of what came of the vulpine kit he had saved earlier. He did not see him in the small town he had went to last night, concluding to the possibility he may have committed suicide. He was now walking back towards the camp site where the horrific bloodshed had taken place. With a bottle of saki being carried by a rope with his left hand-paw, the arctic wolf walks through the same pathway he took last night to get to the said town. Thoughts began to course his mind, and his expression remaining as calm as it has been last night.

“My sword is guided by the reason of Hiten Mitsurugi, yet when all is said, a sword is nothing but a tool of destruction, not salvation”, the wolf thought within his mind, walking past the signs leading to the Tri-Burrows Correctional Boot Camp Site. “The only way I can maintain the sanity of the Mammalian race is to bury its victims”, the male concluded before arriving upon the concrete parking lot, all of the cars remaining at the location since their arrival here, But as he walked towards the field where the stage was once set, what he saw next surprised him greatly, much to the point where his eyes widen to a good degree.

On the massive field before him, roughly two hundred crosses were placed in twenty neat rows of ten. However, in the far left, middle, and far right rows, those ones bore nine graves on each one. The last three graves bore the best rocks that were available in the area, stacked neatly next to one another in front of the rest of the graves. Telling be these graves, these three must've been of higher significance than the rest of the graves. But that wasn't the only thing he discovered. No. Not only did the wolf see this, but he also noticed the vulpine kit from yesterday standing in front of the stone graves. One thing that the wolf's expression bore on his face was calm, genuine surprise. With his eyes set towards the sight, the wolf began walking towards the kit standing in front of the stone graves.

“You made graves for your family and the others, victim and murderer alike?” the wolf asked with a calm tone of voice.

“Most of these mammals didn't deserve to die...” Matt spoke with a slight whimper in his voice. “Everybody came here for orientation about the Correctional Boot Camp…. But none of that matters anymore…”, he added, choking back a sob before taking a few deep breaths. “Last night, everyone who died stopped being attendees and murderers. They were all victims….”

“And these stones?” The wolf asked.

“The grave in the middle is for my aunt, Karen...” Matt answered as calmly as he could, despite bearing a whimper in his tone. “The other two are for the raccoon sisters, both of which I do not know… but despite that, they protected me like I was their own”, the fox kit explained, a couple tears streaming down his face as he continued to speak. “I'm only just a kit, but I feel I should've done something to protect them… and now they're gone...” the vulpine kept talking, tilting his head up and looking towards the darkening sky. “I have to live for them, because they died for me. I wanted their graves to be beautiful, but all I was able to find were these horrible stones, but its the best I can do”, the kit added before choking back a sob, the wolf slowly approaching the three graves and lifting the bottle of saki upward. “I wish I had flowers to give them… they all deserve flowers...” the fox finished, the wolf twisting the cap of the bottle and pulling it off, raising the bottle of saki over the graves and begins pouring the liquid onto the first grave on the left.

“No one should reach paradise in the afterlife without the taste of good saki”, the wolf claimed, moving the bottle to the middle grave and pouring saki onto it. He moves the bottle to the third and final stone grave and began pouring a similar portion of the alcoholic liquid onto the grave. “This is my tribute to them”, he finished, the fox's eyes widening slightly with surprise before turning to face the lupine next to him.

“Thank you, uh...”

“Hiko Seijuro”, The wolf, Hiko, introduced himself before turning his attention towards the kit before him. “Tell me, do you have any other relatives who can care for you?” he asked with the same expression on his face, yet bore a curious tone in his voice.

“I would...” Matt answered before tilting his head down and looking upon the grassy soil before him. “I have no way of contacting either one of my brothers, Nick or Terrance… since my aunt's phone died while we were in the registration line...” he explained, whimpering softly and choking back a few sobs. Hiko lets out a calm sigh before gently placing his right hand-paw onto his shoulder.

“Listen, you were unable to save the lives of your aunt or of the other two women who protected you last night. Now your inner self is latent within their memories. Your small hand-paws can attest to the weight of their lifeless bodies”, Hiko began. “However, you will learn that their memories are heavier, and carrying them will make you stronger. This new strength will be your defense and aid you in the protection of that in which is important. But this can only happen if you are properly trained”, the wolf finished, a series of thoughts beginning to form inside the young kit's mind.

“Properly… trained? What do you mean?” Matt asked, now curious on what the wolf meant by his words. But what the wolf was about to say would answer his thoughts.

“Yes, I shall teach you the ways of the Hiten Mitsurugi style, and it is important to remember the name of your new master”, Hiko replied. “Tell me your name”.

“Matt…. Matt Wilde”, Matt answered, using his right arm to dry his tear-stained face. The wolf closes his eyes for a moment before reopening them, a soft smile forming on his face.

“I have found a pupil”, Hiko replied with a calm tone, retaining the soft smile on his muzzle as he looks towards Matt. “Consider yourself fortunate, Matt”, the wolf finished, turning to face the setting sun as the kit did the same. And one thing the kit now had was the one thing his green eyes glistened with.

Hope.


	3. John Bellwether

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: As of 11/11/2016, I changed the appearance of Victor Wilde in order to accommodate the change in Matt's appearance.

_ **John Bellwether** _

  


The sound of crickets and the howls of the wind dominate the night, with everybody sleeping peacefully within the tranquility of their homes. However, that wasn't the case with a few mammalians in Kawasabus, Ohio, with three mammalians walking through the alleyway in the still of the night. But these were not ordinary mammals, however, but those dressed in a higher class. And based on the way they looked, they appeared to have some business to tend to.

One thing the three male mammalians had in common were that they were dress in black and white suits, with black leather shoes covering their feet-paws and dark red ties being attached to their white dress shirts. On the left sides of their bodies, a sheathed katana proportionate to their size was attached to their belts. Their left hand-paws remain gripped to the hilts of their swords, a signal to show they were as alert to their surroundings as they can be. Despite these similarities, the differences between the three men were obvious.

The man on the left was Salazar, a lynx bearing dark gold and white fur, with black spots and stripes appearing at random parts of his body. In terms of his height, he was the middle man of the group, being about four feet six inches tall. The eyes the lynx bore was of a golden-yellow color, which glows brightly in the crescent moon. He appeared to be about the age of twenty-seven, with a diagonal scar going across his face from the top of his left eye to the bottom of his right, giving him a more menacing look with his calmly stern expression.

The man on the right was Richard, a timber wolf bearing brown and white fur on his body, with a few black and gray patches on the facial region. The wolf was the tallest of the group, his height being a good six feet tall. His eyes were of a bright blue color, a color that matched the keenness of his vision. Not only was he the tallest of the group, but he was also the eldest as well, being about the age of forty-seven.

The man on the middle was the head of the entire group, despite being of a prey species. Jonathan Bellwether was a sheep who bore curly, puffy white fur along with a light creamy skin tone. His eyes were of a dark green color, and bore a calm, stern look in them. He was also the shortest of the group as well, being roughly about two feet six inches in height. Despite his small size, he remained alert like the other two members of his party. Speaking of which, the sheep's eyes began to survey the alleyway.

“Its too dangerous to be out here at night. Lets get going”, John said calmly, the other two men nodding towards him in response. However, the wolf turns to face the sheep before smirking lightly.

“I've heard the news. John”, Richard replied, a slight hint of an English accent apparent in his voice.

“What are you talking about?” John asked, turning his head towards the taller wolf next to him.

“You know what I'm talking about, sir”, Richard replied, a hearty chuckle escaping from the back of his muzzle.

“Oh, of course”, John spoke, turning his head back to the front to look directly towards the front. The lynx turns to face the sheep next to his right before grinning softly

“Your research on the Midnicampum holicithias flowers have proven invaluable to your own company, Mr. Bellwether”, Salazar said. “Thanks to your fine research, the serum will be ready to begin massive production before the end of next month. Hell, maybe within the end of the month if all goes well”.

“Thank you, Salazar”, John replied, a tender grin forming on his face. “But I must admit I do feel like I'm being given too much credit for this”, he claimed. “If it wasn't for my sister, along with some of the best scientists in the entire country working in my company, none of this would be possible”, the sheep finished, with Salazar chuckling softly before nodding with understanding.

“That is true, Mr. Bellwether. Though it never hurts to embrace the amount of credit you've been given”, Salazar claimed, making John chuckle towards his words. Then again, he knew the lynx was right. It never hurts to find relish in the accomplishments he's made. Speaking of which, having this conversation with his companions reminded him of an event that happened not so long ago…

* * *

 

_**Bellwether Enterprises Research Facility, July 17 th, 2009** _

_A Large group of scientists were continuing to do their research on many chemicals inside the facility, many of them wearing medical muzzle masks to prevent some of the harmful chemicals from entering their lungs. But despite the different chemicals being used, all of the experiments bore one thing in common: all experiments involved the midnicampum holicithias flowers that were brought to them. The flowers themselves were of a small-medium size, each bearing six violet petals and several yellow pistils and stamens._

_At one of the tables, a male sheep well in his mid to late forties had finished mixing the flowers inside a flask, using one of the thin spoons to mix them with the chemicals inside. Starting of quickly at first, he soon slows his stirring down and pulls the thin spoon out of it, grabbing a hold of it and carefully pouring the liquid inside one of the large, cylindrical vile tubes. He had no intention of making a mess with the chemical compound he had finished making, and he was unsure of how dangerous or acidic it was as of yet. However, seeing the liquid settle inside the large vile tube without exploding or any other harsh reaction, the male let out a sigh of relief before grabbing a cap to screw on top of the vile._

_With the cap screwed on moments later, the male sheep walks towards one of the machines nearby and places the vile inside the slot on the left of the keypad. With a few buttons pressed on it, the door to the slot closes and another slot opens. The sheep turns to the table next to the machine and grabs roughly a dozen pellets, placing them into the empty slot before closing it with a press of a few buttons. Now that the vile bearing the liquid and the pellets, the researcher presses the on button to get the machine going before taking a few steps back to watch the machine do its work._

_The machine began to mix the items in the two slots by injecting the liquid inside each and every one of the pellets with the use of a thin needle. The white pellets soon turn violet-blue to correlate with the color of the flowers used to make the compound. Cold steam began blowing into the container after the final pellet was filled with the chemical compound, the cold steam being used to help cool, dry, and solidify the damp, softened pellets. Two minutes later, a 'ding' noise goes off to signal the compound pellets are ready, the male sheep walking towards the machine and opening it with a press of a few buttons. Grabbing the pellets with his right hand-paw, he carefully takes them to a table across from the machine, setting them next to what appears to be a modified gun of some sorts._

“ _Alright, now to test the prototype pellets”, The male sheep said to himself, pulling the slider on the back of the gun back, revealing three slots in which were the same size as the pellets. He grabs three pellets and places them in the slider before pushing the slider forward, locking the slider in place before turning to his left. His eyes gaze upon a female sheep dressed in a lab coat and a monotone business suit underneath. The woman bore a younger appearance and was about two feet in height, her eyes being of a dark green color, much like the male's own eye color. But unlike the male, the female was wearing a pair of rounded rectangular shaped glasses, the lens enlarging her eyes a tad bit because of them._

“ _Is the serum ready, John?” The female sheep asked, the male nodding in response to answer her question._

“ _Its ready, but we must test the prototype just to make sure, Dawn”, John, the male sheep, answered with a calm tone._

“ _Nevertheless, I know of a good place”, Dawn, the female sheep, replied with a slight grin on her face before turning around and walking to the double doors, with John following her with the modified pellet gun in his grip._

_Exiting the lab as they did, Dawn makes a right in the hallway and walks to the elevator up ahead, pressing the button and opening the elevator doors. She enters the elevator with John before pressing the button leading to the basement, making the elevator descend towards several floors to reach its destination. The ride down only took a good ten seconds before the elevator doors began opening and allowing the two to walk out of the elevator, only for the female sheep to take a left in the basement hallway. She reaches into her pocket with her left hand-paw and grabs a silver and red key card from it, sliding it into the card reader and causing the door to slide upward, thus allowing both her and John inside the room._

_Entering the room as they did, John turns to the left and notices a window, along with another door leading into the opposite room. Inside the opposite room were two prisoners, both of which were dressed in torn, black pants, and their wrists and ankles being bound by metallic wall shackles. However, the two were of a different predatory species, one of them being a lion with a red about the same age as john. The other was a red fox well within his mid to late fifties. Yet interestingly enough about the fox, despite there being gray patches on certain parts of his body, he only appeared to be in his late thirties to early forties. The fox's head was hanging low and much of his long, brown and slightly gray hair had covered his face._

_Even at the sight of the two mammals, John walks towards the door leading to that room and grabs his key card, swiping the card through the slot before walking into the occupied room. And now that he was inside, he looks towards the two prisoners with a rather devious grin on his face._

“ _Well, if it isn't my favorite subjects, Alexander Lionwhite and John Victor Wilde”, John greeted, his tone as devious as the look on his face._

“ _Let us outta here you fluffy little fuck!” Victor, the old fox, growled aggressively, trying to break free from his binds, despite his efforts being futile. But then again, how can you stop trying if your captor was inside the same room as you were?_

“ _When we get out of here, we're killing your sorry ass!!!” Alexander roared harshly towards his prey, the male sheep shaking his head with a humorous sense of irony. After all, the prey has managed to imprison their predators with their binds, and boy did John have something in store for them._

“ _Oh, you'll be killing alright, my predatory friend, that you will”, John replied, a few devious chuckles managing to escape his muzzle. “But it won't be me you'll be killing”, the sheep added, aiming the modified pellet gun towards the lion with with a sadistic grin on his face._

“ _What?! What do you mean?!” Alexander growled aggressively, his eyes widening and his irises gradually becoming slits._

“ _This outta answer your question”, John replied before pulling the trigger and shooting one of the pellets towards the Lion's neck, the pellet exploding on his neck like a blueberry would when hitting its target after being fired from a pea shooter. The lion began to growl in agony before beginning to struggle in his shackles, saliva forming around his mouth and dripping down his muzzle. All Victor could do at this point was watch in horror as he watched his fellow prisoner and friend growling in agonizing pain._

“ _Alexander!!!” Victor shouted before turning towards his captor, John, who was fleeing the room immediately and shutting the electronic door behind him. He was trapped inside the room, and his fellow prisoner was screaming as if he were in agonizing pain. His eyes shift towards the lion for a moment before turning to face the window, narrowing them slightly in a ferocious manner. “What the fuck did you DO?!” the fox shouted, pulling himself forward as hard as he could, despite being trapped in his shackles. John merely presses the button to the intercom before beginning to laugh hysterically._

“ _Oh ho, you are about to be in a world of shit right about now”, John began, his sadistic grin widening and his eyes narrowing towards the fox. “You see, Victor, we've managed to formulate a new serum only a few moments ago, and we've been dying to test out the prototype for the first time”._

“ _Prototype for what?!” Victor growled, unaware that his fellow prisoner had ceased his agonizing cries, only to be replaced with soft, feral growls._

“ _A Prototype for a weapon that can make any mammal on this earth become an aggressive, savage feral within a matter of seconds”, John answered, his attention now turning towards the increasingly aggressive, increasingly feral lion. “And it looks like your friend here is about to provide a deathly demonstration just for you~”, the sheep added, the lion's savage eyes turning to face the fox trapped on the wall adjacent to the wall the feline was trapped on. Victor's eyes turn to face the lion's eyes for a moment, widening at the sight of such a horrific transformation._

“ _Those bastards…” Victor thought inside of his mind. “Did John and the other scientists plan this the entire time?” he wondered, his eyes continuing to gaze towards the now savage lion before him. And with the way the lion's muscles bulged trying to break free, and the cracking noises coming from the shackles, he knew he was living on borrowed time. He knew he couldn't escape, and he knew he was about to die._

“ _So, any last words before your demise?” John asked, his tone remaining as devious as it had when he entered the room where the prisoners were located. Victor's eyes immediately depart from Alexander and move their focus towards John, narrowing them and giving the two sheep a deathly glare, his green eyes burning with a fierce rage._

“ _Mark my words, you ruthless bastard!” Victor began with a deathly growl, the savage Alexander managing to break the right shackle off and freeing his corresponding wrist. “I will have my revenge, even in DEATH! One of my kin will come after both of your sorry asses! One way or the other, I WILL BE AVENGED!!!” the fox screamed as loud as he could, his screaming being accompanied with a ferocious growl. But by the time he had finished his speech, the savage lion had managed to break the fourth and final shackle that bound him there. Victor's attention shifts towards the lion and his eyes widen in pure horror. Only one thing was crossing his mind: his time had come… and he was about to die._

“ _We'll see about that”, John replied, closing his eyes and relaxing his grin a tad bit, devious chuckles escaping his muzzle as the lion prepares for his first kill. The target, Victor Wilde. With nasty, savage growls escaping the feline's muzzle, he pulls his left arm back and launches himself towards the vulpine. Victor tried to let out a horrified scream, but nothing had come out thanks to the lion slashing his throat with with left set of claws. Blood began splattering out of the wound like a fire hydrant shooting water out like a geyser. No more than ten seconds later, Victor's body slumps towards the ground, his blood dripping out of the nasty wound, and the lion began to feast upon the newly deceased fox's body like it were his prey._

“ _It looks like the serum was a success, am I right, brother?” Dawn asked, bearing a similar tone like her brother, John. The male turns to face his sister before nodding softly._

“ _Yes”, John replied before turning his attention back towards the lion “However… we will continue to test the prototypes until we are certain they're a hundred percent complete” the male added, noticing the lion immediately turning to face the window with the same predatory look on his face. The savage beast began to crawl on all fours towards the window, scratching the floor with its hind feet as if to prepare to leap towards its prey. With a sudden, swift movement, the lion jumps towards the window with his hand-paws pulled back and prepared to shatter the glass. Dawn screams and immediately hides behind her brother, the possibility of dying right then and there at an all time high. However, a bullet to the head sought the end of that possibility, the lion's body crashing onto the floor before it could finish its leap. John looks upward towards the left side of the room and notices the barrel of a rifle being pulled back by the gunman in the room on the top floor._

“ _God, that was a close one”, Dawn said, letting out a loud sigh of relief and wiping her forehead with her left forearm._

“ _Perhaps…”, John began. “But right now, lets leave the room and let the other scientists dispose of the bodies”, he suggested calmly, turning to the exit and walking towards it. “And we needn't worry about what becomes of the other test subjects, sis. Since I also happen to be a high government ranking official, covering our tracks and eliminate any knowledge about our doings here shouldn't be a problem”, he claimed, exiting the room with his sister following suit._

“ _Maybe, but what would we say about the bodies if they're found?” Dawn asked._

“ _Then we will tell the authorities that these 'killers' have been slaughtering innocent civilians and our security, and were left with no choice but to eliminate the beasts for the greater good”, John explained with a small grin on his face, continuing to walk towards the same elevator he and his sister took to get out of here. But despite the satisfaction of the prototype testing, there was something still burning in the back of his mind. “But that still doesn't explain what Victor said to me before he died…. What did he mean by having his revenge even in death? And what else did he mean when he mentioned something about his kin?” he wondered, pressing the button to the elevator before continuing his train of thought. “I haven't found any records of him having kids or being married for that matter…. Is it possible he may have found a way to erase his files… or was he bluffing?” he asked in his head, the fox's final words being a little more troubling than he had anticipated. Alas, the elevator doors open and the two siblings enter inside, the doors closing before taking the two to their next destination…._

* * *

 

_**Back in the Alley, September 29 th, 2009** _

After reminiscing about that fateful day, especially after using the prototype pellets on one of the prisoners for the first time, John recalls the last words Victor had told him before he was killed by his fellow prisoner. Even though he didn't show it, it still bothered him on the back of his mind, yet didn't bother him enough to say he was haunted by them. No, that wasn't the case. It was the meaning behind the deceased fox's words that had troubled him, along with the lack of records he had on him despite having access to government files. Richard and Salazar turn to notice this right after they pass a dark alleyway and ceased walking.

“Are you alright, John?” Richard asked, the male sheep turning towards the timber wolf with a calm expression on his face. Despite the thoughts continuing to bother his mind, he nods with a reassuring manner before turning to face the front again.

“Its nothing”, John replied. “Lets keep going before we run into some unwanted trouble”, he suggested, the other two nodding with understanding before the trio continues to walk along the wide alley's pathway. But unaware to them, a pair of green eyes had been watching them in the dark alley they had passed moments before. The figure in the shadows walks out of the dark alley and turns to face the trio, his left hand-paw holding the sheath containing the twenty-six inch long blade of his katana.

“You must be Governor John Bellwether, founder and lead researcher of the pharmaceutical enterprise, Bellweather Enterprises… aren't you”, The figure in the shadows spoke with a calm, slightly menacing tone in his voice, the trio stopping dead on their tracks and turning to face the lone figure before them. And what they saw had legitimately surprised them, but most of all, shocked John himself.

The lone figure that stood before them was a fox that bore reddish-orange and cream colored fur, the vulpine appearing to be no older than the age of seventeen. The back of his long, brown hair was tied back with a black ponytail, which the ponytail was raised in a high ponytail fashion. A black three-fourths sleeve V-neck shirt covers his lean, muscular built torso, the sleeves fitting his built forearms quite snugly as a result of his training. Hell, his shirt was tight enough to where the muscle definition of his torso can be seen, yet not enough to make the wearer uncomfortable. A pair of black leather gloves were worn over his hand-paws, covering them to their entirety. Lastly, a pair of dark green cargo pants cover his legs, with the leg openings being tucked into the open toe combat boots.

“Now, you old man, you'll pay for your tyranny”, The fox said calmly towards John specifically, his eyes narrowing slightly towards the male sheep before him. John's eyes widen at the comment before he, Salazar and Richard grab a hold of the hilts of their katanas.

“Try it!” Salazar exclaimed towards the fox.

“Its just a boy with a grudge against those in power!” John exclaimed before turning to face Richard, seeing him slightly pulling the sword out of its sheath.

“Stand back!” Richard yelled with a guttural growl in his voice, his eyes gazing towards the short vulpine standing about five meters away from the group. The fox's expression remained unchanged, his green eyes staring towards the trio with a stern look to them. “Now die!!” the wolf roared loudly and immediately starts sprinting towards the fox and pulls his sword out of its sheath, raising it high up in the air and making as a preparation for an attack.

But completely unaware to him, he was dealing with an assassin of a deadly caliber!

He suddenly attempts a vertical slash attack with his sword, only for the fox to pull his sword upward by its sheath. Instead of hitting the attack like he intended to, the vulpine blocks it with the isuba of his katana. The fox pushes the sword upward and knocks the wolf back a few steps, the lone vulpine jumping towards him and hits his opponent's left eye by using the bottom of the sheath. Screaming in agony as the wolf did, the fox pulls the sheath back and grabs the handle of his sword, pulling the blade out of its sheath and striking the wolf's right side with a horizontal slash. Placing the palm of his left hand-paw behind the back of his blade, the fox pushes the sword right through Richard's torso and horizontally slices the wolf in half, his dying body falling onto the floor and its bloody contents spraying out onto the concrete ground quickly.

“Richard!!!” John exclaimed, pulling his sword out of the sheath and preparing to attack. However, Salazar grabs a hold of John and pushes him to the right.

“Stay back, John! I take care of this vulpine!!” Salazar exclaimed, pulling his katana out of its sheath and preparing to attack. But the fox's blade robbed Salazar of his attack, the lone vulpine piercing his katana right through his skull from the bottom of the lynx's jaw to the top of his head. John's eyes widen with horror upon seeing the vulpine being able to dispatch his guards rather quickly. Speaking of which, the fox looks to the lynx and pulling his sword back, the sword cutting right through his jaw and the front of his skull. Its bloody contents began spraying about rapidly right before the lynx's body collapses onto the ground. Only one opponent was left to dispatch, and that was John Bellwether himself. The fox's green eyes turn to the sheep and quickly starts sprinting towards him.

“Salazar!!!” John shouted right before raising his katana up and blocking the fox's swift attack, being momentarily being pinned to the wooden shack behind him before quickly moving to his left. The fox's blade slashes right through its shack at the precise moment John began to prepare for battle. Panting as the sheep did, the vulpine turns to face his opponent with his unchanged expression. “I will not die…. I cannot die”, the sheep thought within his head and continues panting, his blade pointing towards the fox before the vulpine figure raises his own sword, the pointed edges pointing directly towards the sheep.

“Drop your sword”, the fox ordered sternly, twisting his blade ninety degrees to the right by moving his right hand-paw forward, the bloody blade reflecting the crescent moon's moonlight. John's eyes widen momentarily at the command before narrowing them.

“I will NOT!” John shouted before suddenly starting to sprint towards the fox and striking him with his blade. Unfortunately for John, the vulpine blocks his attack with his blade and pushes him back. Nonetheless, the sheep attempts another attack at the fox, again, only for the fox to block it in a similar manner.

Now it was his opponent's turn to attack. The vulpine performs a fast, vertical slash towards the sheep, yet John was luckily about to block it with his blade by moving the sword upward. But unknown to John, he fell right into the vulpine's trap. The fox makes a sudden horizontal slash attack and manages to strike his opponent's stomach with the tip of his blade, causing the sheep to lean forward and let out a cry of agonizing pain. Saliva began dripping out of his muzzle before looking up at the fox, seeing him pulling his blade up for another vertical slash. This time, however, John was able to block it and jumps back a several feet away from his opponent. Jolts of pain began to spread throughout his body, but he ignores the pain and stares directly towards the fox.

“I can't die now… not now!” John shouted within his mind, panting heavily in pain before raising his sword as if to attack again. He sprints towards the fox and starts attacking him with various types of slashes, whether they were vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. And with each attack he made, the fox easily blocks them as if they were nothing. His efforts were increasing with each attack, and his panting was increasing just as much. But despite his efforts, the fox was able to block each attack as if they were nothing. “Who the hell is this guy?” the sheep though in his mind, his panting getting painfully heavier with each attack he makes. His dark green eyes gaze towards the vulpine's slightly brighter pair, his eyes widening not necessarily out of shock, but with another feeling he couldn't place his thumb on. “And why am I getting a feeling I've seen this fox from somewhere…?” he asked himself within his mind before attempting a horizontal slash. However, the vulpine dodges the attack by ducking before striking the sheep with a diagonal slash, the tip of his blade cutting the sheep from the bottom of his right oblique to the upper left portion of his shoulder. John began screaming in agony from the attack, only for them to get louder after the fox strikes his back with his sheath, knocking him a good fifteen feet away from the vulpine.

After being knocked fifteen feet away from the fox, the sheep's body bounces off the concrete ground once before landing on his body a few feet from the first landing, sliding another six feet away after the second impact. His panting became heavy to the point where it became a lot harder to breathe through his mouth. But that didn't stop him from continuing to fight. No! He uses his sword to pick himself up, slowly managing to get himself back onto his feet-paws. His vision was blurring in and out as he tried to get them to focus on the fox standing over several yards away from him. He had to end this now, or else he was gonna die.

“I can't die like this…. I must fight…” John thought inside of his mind with heavy, painful panting. He had to live for his fallen comrades, he had to live for his research, and most of all, he had to live for Dawn. The male tries again to focus his eyes towards the fox several wards away from him, particularly towards his face. With his right hand-paw clutching the handle of his sword, along with placing his left on the handle as well, he raises the sword upward in a slightly upward direction to compensate for his short height. “I fight… TO YOUR DEATH!” he shouted before suddenly sprinting in the fox's direction, the vulpine's eyes gazing towards him with a stern look on his face.

Watching the sheep approaching him at a quick pace, the fox raises his sword just above his obliques, which was enough to make the proper attack needed to strike the sheep. The moment to strike came quickly, with the fox moving forward and tilting the end of his sword slightly to perform a diagonal slash against John. He manages to slice right through the sheep's left shoulder cleanly, blood splattering out of the wound following an agonizing cry from the male. But that didn't mean he got through the attack without injury. No, the sheep managed to nick his left cheek with the tip of his own sword, a slightly diagonal slash appearing a second after John's wound began to bleed profusely. But with a price of a small slash on his face, the fox was able to defeat his opponent rather easily, the sheep collapsing onto the ground next to a rose bush in agonizing pain. Blood continues to pour out of his body quickly, and John knew he was about to die. However, he does muster enough strength to lift himself up with his right arm, his elbow resting on the concrete floor next to a couple rosebuds before tilting his head down.

“Dawn…. Dawn, please forgive me…” John began hoarsely, closing his eyes as a few tears began streaming down his face, with the fox tracing his left index and middle fingers right across the injury he had just received, blood smothering across the direction in correlation with his movements. He moves them towards the front and began to examine the blood in his fingers. “I tried to live for you… tried to fight for you….” the sheep continued, using his right arm to roll himself onto his back. Now that he was lying on his back, he uses some of the strength he has left to look directly towards the assassin. But what he saw made his eyes widen. He didn't see the assassin anymore, but a familiar face he had a savage prisoner kill just over two months ago.

The image of the assassin was replaced with an image of the person he had Alexander murder: Victor Wilde, and the visual of his victim bore a grotesque look. He wore the exact same pants he had when he was killed, but his body resembled that of a rotting corpse. The nasty neck injury he had received, along with the various bite marks he got from the savage Alexander when he tried eating some parts of his body. Bones can be seen on the areas he tried to eat, with rotting flesh and muscle tissue being seen around those areas as well. But that wasn't the most haunting thing John saw on the image of Victor. No, it was the sinister grin on his face, the deathly glare the image of Victor bore in his pale green eyes, and most of all, the sinister chuckle he was letting out of his muzzle. Alas, some of the final words John heard from Victor before his death began to play in the depths of his mind, right as 'Victor' began to approach him with the katana in his right hand-paw.

“ _I will have my revenge, even in **DEATH**!”_

And with those words playing in his mind, John knew only one thing: His time was up….

“Oh dear god, no….” Those were the last words John had uttered before the vulpine stabs the sheep's skull with his katana, the blade piercing right through his head easily. The fox pulls the blade out of his skull before shaking the blade of the excess blood, kneeling down and grabbing a rosebud from the ground. Placing it on the body as he did, along with standing back up onto his feet-paws, three other mammals arrive upon the bloody scene in which the battle had taken place.

The three mammals who arrived consisted of two arctic foxes and a tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dog), all three of them dressed in dark colored Japanese kimonos. The two foxes were wearing kimonos that were bearing midnight blue long sleeve kimono shirts, dark gray hakama pants, and black open toe boots. The tanuki, on the other hand, was dressed in a black long sleeve kimono shirt, gray hakama pants, and black open toe boots much like what the others wore. Along with the clothing being different, he also had long, black hair and even a small mustache on his muzzle, most of his long hair bring tied back except for his bangs. What the three males did wear in common were black leather gloves, which covered their and-paws through their entirety.

“Are you hurt, Matt?” the tanuki asked with a calm tone, the arctic foxes approaching the bodies of both Salazar and Richard.

“Not badly”, Matt answered with a similar tone of voice, his left hand-paw moving to his cargo pocket and opening it. Placing his hand-paw inside, he grabs a dark gray cleaning cloth from it and wipes the blade clean with the rag.

“Ah, the slash from John bellwether's blade drew your blood, he must've been more skilled than he looked”, the tanuki commented, kneeling down next to the sheep's corpse and examining the bodily injuries the deceased sheep had received.

“Not skilled”, Matt replied, placing the sword back into his sheath and the cloth inside of his left cargo pocket.

“Huh?” the tanuki replied with a bit of curiosity in his voice.

“Just stubborn”, Matt answered before closing the pocket and placing his hand-paws inside of his main pockets. “Now, Iizuka, I assume you'll be cleaning up this refuse”, the fox added before walking away from the bloody scene, the tanuki's eyes following the fox's movements.

“Matt!” Iizuka calmly exclaimed, turning away from the fox a moment after not getting a response from him. He turns his attention towards the body and lets out a soft, surprised gasp, seeing the rosebud being sitting on the dead man's chest.

* * *

 

_**Matt's residence, one hour later** _

Sizzling sounds of the water hitting the tile floor can be heard inside the bathroom, with one occupant inside of the steam coated shower room. The occupant inside the shower was none other than Matt Wilde himself, who was cleansing himself off after assassinating John and his three hired guards. Water runs down his slim, muscular body, and diluted blood ran down his left cheek, thanks to the water hitting the wound to clean the deep cut. Soon enough, the fox turns the shower off and grabs a hold of the towel he had placed over the shower door, using the white towel to dry off his fur.

About twenty minutes have passed since he had finished his shower, and now the fox was exiting the shower room, his fur brushed and dried, and body clothed. The clothes he wore consist of a dark gray tank top along with a pair of blackshorts with white stripes on the sides. He held a towel over the injury he had received earlier today, opening the sliding door open with his right hand-paw and entering his bedroom. Not much was inside of the bedroom, with the exception of a futon bed, a brown wooden dresser, and a light brown desk with a black leather roller chair in front of it. On the desk there was an ASUS gaming laptop with a black wired Xfox 360 controller on top of it, a gaming mouse, a pair of black medium sized speakers, and a printer located under the right side of his desk.

The fox walks towards his bed and takes a seat on the mattress, placing his legs on the bed right after he took a seat and rests his back on the bed. His sheathed sword was placed under the bed with the handle visibly sticking out in case of an emergency or home invasion, with the male taking a look at it for a moment to ensure it was placed in the right area. Though speaking of his sword, after laying back down and looking up at the ceiling, he was reminded of a training session he had with his master many years ago.

* * *

 

_**At the lake near the Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo, April 13 th, 2004** _

_The sound of the waterfall can be heard across the training ground, two occupants standing twenty feet away from one another. One of them was twelve year old Matt Wilde, who was dressed in nothing but a pair of gray hakama pants along with a pair of open toe boots. Attached to his belt was a black sheath, which fit securely around his dark gray cloth belt. In his hand-paws was a proportionately sized samurai sword, the cloth of the handle being of a black color, and the hilt being of a bronze color. Right across from him was his master, Hiko Seijuro, who was dressed in the same attire he had met Matt nearly three years prior._

“ _Attack once more, but swiftly”, Hiko ordered, the wolf's sword being held in his right hand-paw and the blade pointing diagonally towards the upper left. Matt's green eyes gaze towards his master with a focused look to them. “He grows stronger, forging his strength daily so that he may become a true swordsman one day. His body matures, yet his mind remains to that of a petulant child”, the wolf thought within his mind, noticing his pupil preparing to make an attack. “He is pure of heart, but so are fools”, he finished his thought, the sound of Matt's battle cry signaling the vulpine's upcoming attack. However, the wolf uses his blade to knock the vulpine back several feet away from him with a simple horizontal attack, Matt having blocked the wolf's attack with his own blade moments before. The fox stood back up into his feet once more, and the training continued throughout the day…._

* * *

 

_**Matt's Residence, September 29 th, 2009** _

Reminiscing the training session from many years ago had reminded him of all that his master had taught him, the knowledge having been applied to his own swordsmanship to assassinate the trio earlier that night. But despite that knowledge being applied to his skills, a wave of irony flows through his skills, especially with the first principle he had learned from the one who taught him how to use a sword in the first place.

“The first principle of Hiten Mitsurugi… the sword swung in my name shall be swung for the people of the world, to prevent the shedding of innocent blood”, Matt recalled, removing the towel from his injury and gazes at the small, lined puddle of blood on the cloth, the bleeding having stopped shortly before leaving the bathroom. He stared at it for a bit longer before placing the towel on the floor next to his sword, pulling the covers over his body and shutting his eyes. Within a matter of minutes, the teenage vulpine drifts off into a deep, much needed sleep….


	4. The Becoming of an Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We now get to take a look into some of Matt's past, explaining how he became an assassin for the Ishin-Mirkwood clan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: This chapter has been reformatted slightly and the heights of both Thrandeer and Katagai have changed to accommodate the Zootopia Universe as close as possible (based on their species).

_ **The Becoming of an Assassin** _

  


The late afternoon was usually everyone's typical afternoon, coming home from work, starting your night shift, or evening getting home from school after football practice or something related. But at the Ishin-Mirkwood shrine near the edge of Kawasabus, that was an entirely different story. The late afternoon was the time to discuss the next assignments for the Ishin-Mirkwood assassins. Speaking of assassins, a dark gray 2009 Toyota Corolla Altis pulls up to the shrine's garage and parks in the designated parking lot. And the occupants stepping out of the car was none other than Matt Wilde and the clan's examiner of executions, Iizuka. The two males were wearing a clean pair of the exact clothes they had worn yesterday, their swords attached to the left side of their bodies.

“Alright, Matt, we're here”, Iizuka said to the fox next to him, both he and the vulpine walking towards the garage exit and towards the entrance of the shrine. “It would've been easier if we reported the assassinations to Thrandeer Katzuma this morning, but unfortunately your sleeping habits beg to differ”, the tanuki added with a light chuckle, making the fox turn towards him with a slight growl.

“Hey, it's not my fault I have high school classes I have to attend”, Matt argued, albeit calmly, a soft sigh escaping his muzzle. Soon enough, the two approach the gates of the shrine and enter, walking towards the gardens in which they were to meet their leader.

Entering the gardens as they did, the two notice a couple of mammalians near the coy fish pond. The one on the left was Katagai, a huge, heavily built, brown furred bear dressed in a black kimono shirt, gray hakama pants, and black open toe boots. Based on his facial features, the bear appeared to be no older than the age of forty. Jet black hair can be seen on the bear's head, with a ponytail tying his hair back in a professional manner. He was also the tallest of the two mammals inside, being about a good nine feet two inches tall.

The mammal on the right was the clan's leader, Thrandeer Katzuma, who is a white-tailed deer bearing mostly light brown fur, but having bits of black and white mixed in to create a unique contrast. Long, straight blonde hair can be seen on his head to help his dark tan antlers pop out. His light blue eyes looking directly towards the brown bear in the conversation they were engaged in at the time. His attire consisted of a dark gray tight fitting shirt (the material being identical to Matt's long sleeved shirt), dark tan hakama pants, and dark brown open toe boots. He was the shortest of the two, being roughly about seven and a half feet tall, not counting the antlers. His ears flicker quickly to the sounds of footsteps approaching them, the deer grinning softly at the sound

“You have returned at last”, Thrandeer said, turning around to face the two visitors inside. And as soon as his eyes gaze upon the vulpine, he notices the diagonal slash on the fox's left cheek. “Ah, I never thought I'd see a wound on you, Matt”, the deer claimed.

“I was careless”, Matt replied calmly, his green eyes focusing towards the clan leader's light blue set. The clan leader ceases his grinning and looks towards the fox with a calm, yet serious expression on his face.

“Who, who did it?” Thrandeer asked, his tone being a mixture of both calm and serious. Matt was about to answer, but the examiner of executions clears his throat before the fox could speak.

“John Bellwether was the one who gave Matt the injury, whom he and his guards are now dead”, Iizuka answered. “We've would've reported this to you sooner as well, chief. But unfortunately, Matt's sleeping habits this morning prevented us from coming until this evening”, the tanuki added, the fox's eyes gazing towards the raccoon dog with an annoyed look to them. The chief nods upon hearing this before letting a couple hearty chuckles escape his muzzle.

“I do not care if I get the reports in the morning or in the evening, so long they've been reported within the week after the assassinations”, Thrandeer claimed. “And I much rather have reports about Matt's killings in the evening, lest he begins growing suspicion from the local authorities if his attendance was lacking for late arrivals”, he added, turning to face the fox following a nod, not out of approval, but to grab his attention.

“Yes, Thrandeer?” Matt asked.

“You have done well. I have a new assignment for you”, Thrandeer began. “I have a meeting with Tashio Yakima to discuss the future of the Ishin-Mirkwood and the Ishin-Rivendell clans”.

“And you're asking me to be your guard?” Matt asked with curiosity despite retaining a calm expression on his face.

“Not exactly”, Thrandeer answered. “I want you to attend as my envoy”, he finished, the tanuki grinning at the sound of this before turning his attention to the fox next to him.

“Well, that's great to hear!” Iizuka spoke with an enthusiastic tone in his voice. Despite the tanuki being glad to hear this, the fox's expression says otherwise. The vulpine closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“As interesting as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to decline, chief”, Matt answered, reopening his eyes and looking directly towards the clan leader. “I am an assassin, and that's the only way I can serve you”, he added, bowing respectfully towards Thrandeer before turning towards the exit behind him. “I'll wait for new assignments”, the fox finished and starts to walk away from the group.

“Hey, get back here, you mutt!” Katagai growled, causing the fox to tense slightly in response to his offensive words. He didn't tense out of fear, however, but as a response to being called a derogatory term by the bear. He was starting to become obligated to kick his ass right then and there, but honestly, the last thing he needs is a trail of assassins on his tail. So instead of attempting to fight back, he shrugs with a frustrated tone before continuing to walk towards the exit. The bear was about to march towards the fox, but the chief's raised left hand-paw prevented him from doing so. Iizuka turns towards the other two before bowing in an apologetic manner.

“My apologies, sir”, Iizuka apologized quickly before turning towards the exit and quickly rushing towards Matt. The two males can hear the tanuki call out Matt's name before seemingly beginning to scold him regarding his refusal. Yet the two were gone within a matter of seconds, leaving both the Katagai and Thrandeer to themselves in the garden. Speaking of which, the male buck turns to face the pond, grabbing the small bowl of fish food from the stone next to him before pouring the contents into the pond.

“He can't do that. He has no right!” Katagai exclaimed with an angered tone of voice. “You should have the head of any mammal so disrespectful!” he continued, with Thrandeer finishing pouring the contents into the pound and gazing at the water with his eyes. He had heard what the bear had said, but his mind was not focused on Katagai's words. No, his mind was focused on a memory from many years ago….

* * *

 

_**Ishin-Mirkwood Training grounds, December 15 th, 2005** _

_Rain was pouring down heavily upon the Ishin-Mirkwood training grounds, the neo-kiheitai militia becoming soaked from the harsh weather. Yet despite the harsh, humid conditions, the militia (consisting of farmers, merchants, rogue military personnel, or anyone else sharing a similar cause) continues to train through the weather through several methods: target practice with various types of guns, attacking wooden targets with wooden staffs or spears, or hacking the wooden targets with the use of a blade. The battle cries of the mammals grew louder as the training session progressed throughout the day. But they were not alone, however, for two figures watch over them on the hills with eyes as keen as hawks._

_The one of the two mammals watching the fighters was Thrandeer Katzuma, dressed in a black tight fitting short sleeved shirt, dark gray hakama pants, and black open toe boots. His sword was attached to the left side of his pants like usual, the same place many other samurai keep on their bodies. As for the other male, he was identified as Takasugi Shinsaku, a tan and cream furred Shiba Inu with short, straight, raven black hair on his head. His eyes were of a similar color as well, though a bit brighter to help bring some contrast in them. The clothes he wore were completely white except for his black cloth belt, which was tied around his waist to keep his pants and sleeveless kimono shirt secure. The neck of a shamisen was held in the grip of his right hand-paw, the main body being covered by a purple cloth to keep the body from getting wet._

“ _This is your neo-kiheitai?” Thrandeer asked, his eyes looking towards the male's militia training from the top of the hills._

“ _Yes, Thrandeer! These mammals are better than bullets, I assure you”, Takasugi answered with a soft grin on his face. “My army is predisposed to extreme forms of expression”, the Shiba Inu added, placing his left wrist onto the corresponding hip. “They will no doubt make the neo-bakufu wail and anguish” the male dog claimed, the buck narrowing his eyes slightly towards the army below._

“ _May I remind you the neo-bakufu is the fiercest of aggregations”, Thrandeer reminded._

“ _Heh, they'll be significantly less fierce once they're dead”, Takasugi claimed, a devious grin forming on his muzzle._

“ _Next!” a random militia mammal shouted, the buck's eyes widening upon spotting one of the people who was at the training site. And the sight came to him as an unexpected surprise._

“ _You train children, too?” Thrandeer asked with a genuinely surprised tone. He knew many mammals have started joining the army on such short notice, but never did he expect to see a child training amongst them._

_The child himself was a fox that bore reddish-orange and cream colored fur, with green eyes staring directly towards the wooden target in front of him. His attire consisted of a dark green T-shirt, black fingerless gloves, and camouflage cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into the black open toe boots he owned. Based on the appearance of the kit, the vulpine appeared to be no older than the age of thirteen. The fox gets into the stance of the battojutsu, his left foot-paw moving back in correlation to the pose. His right gloved hand-paw grabs a hold of the blade and remains at the stance._

“ _Meet the phantom chief of our ghostly army”, Takasugi replied with a widening grin on his face, watching him suddenly pull the blade out and horizontally slashes the wooden target in half, the top piece flying several feet away from the spot because of the kit's actions, the teen kit placing the sword back into his sheath before walking away. Only one mood can describe how the male buck was feeling right now: astonished. And not by his skill, but at the fact that a child was able to perform such a trick at such a young age. “The runt is impressive, isn't he?” the Shiba Inu asked with a couple chuckles escaping his muzzle._

“ _What was that?” Thrandeer asked, still astonished at the sight of what the teen fox kit had just did._

“ _I'm fairly certain you know what it is you just saw”, Takasugi replied, the male buck's expressing turning from an astonished look to that of a serious one._

“ _Send the kit”, Thrandeer ordered, the male dog next to him humming and turning his head to face the deer. The clan leader's head turns towards the Shiba Inu's face right after the dog turned his head towards him. “He'll work for us!”_

* * *

 

_**Roughly five hours after the report, within an unknown alleyway, September 30 th, 2009** _

The sounds of rushing footsteps can be heard throughout the dark alleyways, and it wasn't the footsteps of an athlete preparing for a race or track competition. No, these were sounds of footsteps trying to run away from someone. An orange and yellow furred house cat was currently running away from an assailant in the shadows, his right arm having been seriously wounded by his attacker.

“Shit, I gotta get outta here! I gotta call the police!” the house cat replied, turning left at another alleyway in the shadows of the night. But doing this would cost him his life, reaching a dead end instead of the another possible pathway. He quickly pulls his phone out of his left pants pocket before pulling up the dial pad on his phone. But before he could dial 911, the assassin pierces his katana right through the feline's chest, killing him almost instantly. Placing his right foot-paw onto the cat's back, he pulls the blade out of the wound and kicks the feline a couple yards forward. As a response to doing that, the vulpine accidentally causes the recently deceased body to knock off various water buckets, the water spilling onto the concrete floor before him.

As the water continues to spill onto the ground, the blood leaking from the dead cat's wound began to mix in with the water. The assassin, Matt Wilde, looks down upon his own watery reflection with a pair of stern eyes. However, his eyes widen slightly upon seeing the blood coming towards him, along with the reflection of his now bleeding scar on his face. And seeing the blood mixed in with the water reminded him of a memory that took place just shortly before joining the clan….

* * *

 

_**The Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo, December 7 th, 2005** _

_Winter has come early at the Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo roughly a three to four hours away from Zootopia, with pure white snow coating the ground and freezing certain parts of the lake nearby. However, despite the sunny day and the pleasantly snowy, cold weather, the atmosphere said otherwise. Standing near a tree was none other than thirteen year old Matt Wilde, his eyes looking directly towards his master with a serious look on them. His attire consisted of a midnight blue long sleeve shirt, black fingerless gloves, and camouflage cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into the black open toe boots he owned. And standing right across from him was his master, Hiko Seijuro, who was still dressed in the same attire he had met mat in many years ago, albeit clean._

_As of recently, the young teenager had heard about some serious problems arising within Kawasabus, Ohio regarding the loss of innocent lives. And it would only be a matter of time before it began to spread across the entire country according to Matt's belief's. Matt tried to explain the whole ordeal about what was going down in Kawasabus. Yet despite his best efforts, the answer Hiko had in mind was clear._

“ _I will not allow you to leave”, Hiko warned, bearing the same calm, stern tone in his voice._

“ _But master! While you interpret philosophy, innocent people are dying in Kawasabus day after day, and who knows when it'll spread across the entire country!” Matt exclaimed. “The teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi are fruitless unless they are used to protect the defenseless! We must go!”_

“ _Be silent!”, the words that came out of Hiko's muzzle was enough to cause the fox to gasp with surprise. “Who do you plan to defend those mammals with your limited knowledge?” the wolf asked, his eyes closed and his tone remaining firm. “Will you choose the less loathsome of the two evil factions in that conflict and do its bidding? I do not bestow master Hiten Mitsurugi's sweetest principles on you so you could become the pawn of nefarious mammals. You can change nothing. The troubles of the outside world are perpetual”._

“ _And by virtue of that, I'm supposed to turn my back and live in self-ordained ignorance?!” Matt argued. “I can't ignore them! They need us, Master!” the fox exclaimed, the wolf turning his body towards the fox and looking own at him with his eyes._

“ _When your training is complete, you will be the strongest of swordsmen, and your mind will be as strong as your sword”, Hiko replied, the fox growling towards him not out of anger, but out of urgency._

“ _The people of Kawasabus are dying at the grip of the neo-bakufu alliance can't wait that long! Your words are nothing!” Matt exclaimed loudly, the wolf's expression becoming more serious as the argument continues to progress._

“ _Go down there, Brand yourself a murderer!” Hiko snapped, albeit as calmly as he could, making the fox's eyes widen upon hearing this, a soft gasp escaping his muzzle almost immediately after. “Murder is the only art a swordsman can practice! No ornamental words can change that! You want to protect people with murder?! You'll slaughter legions so that only a select few may live”, the wolf continued. “Many years ago, long before you were born, my sword was tearing asunder the many lives of all mammals. Yes, all of those mammals were evil, but they were merely mammals first and foremost, Matt”, he added. “The world you arguably desire to enter will now know what to do with you. It will deceive you into believing you are saving lives, even as you destroy them. You will accept its lies, all the while, your hand-paws will be stained with the worst of offenses”, the wolf finished, with Matt closing his eyes and letting out a calm sigh while tightening the sheath of his sword._

“ _Perhaps…” Matt began, reopening his eyes and gazing directly towards his master. “Even so, my hand-paws will bring relief to people who have learned to live without hope. A mammal who feeds on their own is not a mammal anymore, but a savage beast, and should be dealt the same fate!” the fox exclaimed, with the wolf turning to face the Dojo and walking away from his pupil, the fox quickly turning towards Hiko rather quickly. “Master, listen!”_

“ _It is foolish to listen to someone who won't even listen to you”, Hiko claimed with a calmly frustrated tone. “Do as you wish. Go to them”, he finished, with the fox starting to calm down and bowing towards his master, who's back was turned towards him._

“ _Thank you… Master”, Matt replied, remaining bowed towards his master, the one who had taught him most of his knowledge of the Hiten Mitsurugi style. Moments later, he refrains from bowing and turns towards the opposite direction, running towards the direction where the former Correctional Camp Site was located, getting on the side of the highway later that day and hitching a ride from one of the drivers heading towards Kawasabus, Ohio._

_About eight days after the argument between him and his former master, Matt had managed to slice the wooden pole (which was used as a target) horizontally in half and looks at the top half of the pole laying on the ground. Many mammals gathered around the young teenage kit shortly after seeing his attack, many of which were asking how a kit could use a sword like that. But honestly, he never paid attention towards what the other people were saying, for his eyes were focusing towards the two figures on the top of the hills…._

* * *

 

_**The unknown alleyway near the water storage unit, September 30 th, 2009** _

The water had pretty much spread across the concrete ground to the point where it no longer enabled Matt to see his reflection. But to him, it honestly didn't matter, since his job for the night had been done. He turns away from the dead feline corpse and stars walking away from the scene, grabbing the cloth from his left cargo pocket to clean his blade. Wiping the blade with the cloth as he did, Iizuka arrives to the scene and began approaching the body with a lantern in his possession… or he would if he didn't spot something on Matt's left cheek.

“Matt, you're bleeding!” Iizuka calmly exclaimed, but Matt could honestly care less about his bleeding wound on his left cheek, the very same one John inflicted on him recently. His dull green eyes continue to focus on what was in front of him, walking away from the scene of the assassination as if nothing had ever occurred. The tanuki manages to approach the body and examines the feline's corpse, looking over the wound and discovering Matt had killed his target by stabbing him through the heart from behind. Grabbing a piece of paper and placing it on the back of the corpse, the language being written in Japanese, he stands up and flees from the scene.

Later on that night, Matt was walking along the river bank in which the moonlight was reflecting upon, blood dripping from the slash on his left cheek steadily. His injury had stopped bleeding several minutes earlier on the bridge. But shortly after it did, however, two assassins from an unidentified clan, both of which were bobcats, had ambushed him and attempted to assassinate the fox. However, Matt quickly killed them both by decapitating the first and diagonally slicing the second in half, their blood dripping along the wooden bridge and into the river. His wound began to bleed again shortly after disposing of his attackers. While continuing his walk along the river bank, He turns to the sound of footsteps approaching him, his right hand-paw clutching the handle of his samurai katana. However, he relieves his hand-paw from the weapon once he discovers it was Iizuka catching up to him.

“Seems you've killed two more mammals tonight”, Iizuka spoke, with Matt turning to the front and starts walking along the path he had began walking along moments before.

“Yeah…. It seems one of the other clans sent their goons to dispose of me”, Matt replied, his voice being calm instead of shocked after being ambushed by the two assassins.

“Heh, either way, it seems you're getting better at it everyday”, Iizuka replied, making the fox turn his head towards his slightly with a curious manner.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked calmly, yet genuinely curious about the meaning behind Iizuka's question.

“You hardly give them time to scream anymore, nor do you allow them the chance to call the local authorities”, Iizuka explained, turning his attention towards the freshly bleeding wound on his cheek. Now that he was seeing this, the matter needed to be addressed to the fox, whether Matt was aware of it or not. “Stop, lets talk”, the tanuki ordered calmly, the fox nodding before taking a few steps towards the grassy hilltop. Interestingly enough, right as the fox stopped, he noticed something dripping on the left side of his face, removing the glove from the corresponding hand-paw before placing it onto his left cheek. He pulls his hand-paw away from his face and moves it to the moonlight, his eyes widening at the sight of his own blood lined in a similar manner to his scar.

“Huh…?” Matt uttered, not necessarily out of curiosity, but of surprise as well. He expected the injury to stop bleeding by the morning after he received it, but now he was wondering why it was bleeding again.

“Are you superstitious?” Iizuka asked, the fox snapping out of his train of thought and turns to face the tanuki on his left with a curious look on his eyes. “It appears John Bellwether is seeking revenge even in death, which is why your wound refuses to heal”, the tanuki explained.

“That can't be…” Matt replied, a slight surprised tone in his voice before turning away from him and placing his left hand-paw onto his corresponding cheek. “How could it…?”

“Calm down, Matt”, Iizuka began. “Only old ladies believe in that nonsense”, he claimed with a slight chuckle. But now that the tanuki mentioned it, Matt recalled having to deal with an injury he had suffered on his hand-paws when he was merely a kit. But man, how time flew by so quickly, still remembering it as if it were yesterday.…

* * *

 

_**At the outdoor training site, Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo, June 12** _ _**th** _ _**, 2002** _

_Loud smacking noises can be heard at the outdoor training site, the source of the noise coming from a large stick smacking against a tree as hard as possible. The one smacking the tree with a stick was ten year old Matt Wilde, who was continuing to train in order to become the best swordsman through the basics. His attire consists of a white tank top, a pair of midnight blue hakama pants, and black and white converse shoes. Soft battle cries escape his muzzle with each swing, ending a fraction of a second after the thick stick smacks the tree. However, he finishes his training with after feeling a slight, painful sensation on his hand-paws, causing him to drop the stick he was training with onto the dry soil before him._

_Taking a look at his hand-paws as he did, he notices four circular cuts on the top of his palms, on the opposite side where his knuckles were. And although there wasn't a lot of blood flowing from the wounds, he knew he had to get this treated, lest the cuts become infected and delay his training. Turning towards his right, he spots the one story Dojo building and starts walking towards the wooden building. Pulling one of the sliding doors open, he enters the bathroom and grabs a large stepping stool and places it in front of the sink. Climbing up the steps carefully, he opens the cabinet door on top of the sink and began looking through the contents contained inside. He notices various medical items inside until he spots the first-aid disinfectant spray on the lower shelf, along with several types of bandages and ointments next to the spray. He grabs the spray, some roller bandages, and one pack of medical ointment before placing the items on the table next to the sink. Although he wanted to get his hand injuries bandaged, first thing's first._

_The fox starts walking towards the sink and climbs onto the stepping stool again before reaching for the sink handles, his left hand-paw turning the hot water on and his right turning the cold water on to help cool the hot water off enough for him to work with. He grabs the white sink plug and places it inside the sink, letting the water fill up the bowl of the sink to a certain point before turning the water faucet off. Placing his hand-paws inside the water, he winces at the stinging sensation on his hand-paws, the water soaking his brown furred hand-paws and watching his blood getting diluted by the water._

“ _Mother…” was what Matt had said before the memory fades with a blur._

 

_**Inside Matt's residence, 1 am, October 1 st, 2009** _

Sometime after the assassination of the target along with the killings of two assassins, following a much needed shower, Matt was currently inside of the bathroom tending to his wound. Unlike his usual attire, his clothing consisted of a gray T-shirt with a pocket on the left side of the chest area, along with a pair of black pajama shorts. The fox was currently washing a white rag in the sink with hot water before applying some disinfecting peroxide on the rag, placing the rag onto his left cheek where the injury was located. He hissed for a moment due to the peroxide's alcohol content making contact with his injury, but soon subsided. He walks out of the bathroom and heads to the living room, taking a seat on the couch opposite to the one where Iizuka was sitting. Speaking of which, he notices him getting off of his ICarrot 3G smartphone after hanging up with someone, placing the phone on the rectangular coffee table before looking towards Matt.

“Katagai's returned”, Iizuka began. “I just got off the phone with him a moment ago. And apparently, Thrandeer's summit meet didn't not go as good as he had hoped”, the raccoon dog finished.

Matt quickly cocks a curious brow upon hearing this. “What's happened?” the fox asked with a curious tone in his voice.

“According to Katagai, Miyabe and Thrandeer almost came to blows during the talks”, Iizuka explained. “The Mibu and Orimaku clans are vowing to create an enormous catastrophe here in Kawasabus”, the tanuki added.

“Will we fight?” Matt asked, bearing a curious look to his tone while his facial expression was calmly serious.

“Katagai's told me to wait and see what happens, although I was told Thrandeer nearly drew his sword on Miyabe when the talks got heated”, Iizuka answered, the fox nodding at this before closing his eyes, a sigh escaping his muzzle.

“This won't end peacefully”, Matt claimed, reopening his eyes and looking back towards the tanuki sitting across from him.

“Let's hope not”, Iizuka replied, laying back against the couch he was sitting on before placing his arms behind the back of the couch. Matt grabs a smoking pipe containing a small amount of weed in it from the coffee table along with a lighter, placing the pipe into the front end of his muzzle. Biting onto the rod of the pipe with his front teeth before pressing the button to the lighter, lighting the weed inside of the pipe. Placing the lighter right after lighting the small portion of weed, he inhales some of the smoke before grabbing the pipe, pulling it away from his muzzle before exhaling the smoke from his lungs. Now that Thrandeer was mentioned, he began to recall in how he had met him, along with what he did to make the fox he is today.

* * *

 

_**Inside a one room wooden shrine, near the Ishin-Mirkwood training grounds, December 15 th, 2005** _

_Rain continues to pour heavily around the training grounds of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, few of which headed towards some short of shelter to take a break. But speaking of shelter, Thrandeer had arranged an immediate meeting with the fox, who had introduced himself by his name, Matt Wilde. Takasugi was standing in the back of the single room shrine, the entrance/exit being located on the right side of the small building. Thrandeer's back was facing Matt, yet his his eyes staring directly at the wooden barred window in front of him._

“ _Listen carefully…” Thrandeer began, slowly turning around and setting his eyes upon the thirteen year old fox before him. “I am asking you to kill”, the male buck added, a surprised, almost shocked gasp escaping his muzzle and his eyes widening slightly upon hearing what the deer just said. “You are young, but merit the truth. Certain mammals stand between a better world than us. We have no choice but to destroy them so we may reach that world. It's not pleasant, but it's true”, the deer continued. “You told me you wanted to use your swordsmanship to protect the weak and innocent. I can be the one who will show you the way”, he added, lowering his head slightly as if to add a sense of seriousness with his tone. “So answer me, will you kill for me”, the male finished, the fox's eyes continuing to gaze at him for another moment. Then, with a sense of revelation, Matt began looking at the deer with a serious look on his face, nodding upon the buck's request. Thus, his life as an assassin, has begun…._

* * *

 

_**July, 2006** _

_The mid morning bore a peaceful and serene vibe to the countryside, the birds chirping, the sky being blue, the air being as clean as ever, and the grass being of a pure green color. Oh, how peaceful and quiet the beautiful forest was. But with a simple vertical slash of a blade, that all began to change…._

“ _HeYAHH!” was the battle cry that escaped the muzzle of fourteen year old Matt Wilde, who's performed a deadly vertical slash that sliced a brown and white furred husky's head in half, cutting all the way down to the victim's upper part of his back before twisting the blade to the right. Blood began spilling across the earthly soil and some of the lush plants, painting the ground and the vegetation red. Pulling the blade out of his victim's body, the fox kicks the freshly killed body forward and watches the corpse hit the ground quickly. He looks at his first kill with a pair of tedious eyes before looking up towards the sky and the trees above._

_The fox's attire consisted of a black tank top along with a pair of camouflage cargo pants, the leg openings being tucked inside of his black open toe combat boots. On the left side of his body, a black sheath for his sword was attached to his belt, the color of it being a dark brown color. Lastly, a pair of black leather gloves cover his hand-paws through their entirety._

_Silence now fills the air, not a howl of the wind, not a rustle of the leaves, nothing but an exhaling of breath escaping fox's muzzle. Nothing…._

“ _Good Job”, those words broke the silence in the air, the fox curiously turning to face the person who said it. He watches the black haired tanuki jogging towards him, or more specifically, the body in which Matt had just killed._

“ _Good… job?” he asked, watching the other man quickly passing by him rather quickly. He noticed that the other male was dressed in clothing similar to his own, the only exception being that the other male was wearing a pair of khaki hakama pants._

“ _I'm honored to meet ya, sir!” The tanuki replied before kneeling down and examining the body.“I'm Iizuka, Thrandeer's field chief. Nice, clean cut”, Iizuka, the tanuki commented. “Try not to lose your wits like many others do after their first kill”._

“ _I won't. I feel nothing, no regret!” Matt replied almost quickly, his expression becoming serious upon speaking._

“ _Very good”, Iizuka responded before standing up and turning his head towards the fox behind him. “The key to this job is speed, accuracy, and conviction. Now clean this up and lets get out of here”, the tanuki included, handing the fox a white rag for him to use, Matt nodding and taking the cloth with his left hand-paw. While holding his sword, he began to wipe the blood that was on the blade with a single, thorough wipe._

“ _There will be a world where mammals will live in peace, my bloody hands and sword ensure its creation”, Matt spoke within the depths of his mind, removing the bloody rag from the blade and placing the cloth in his left cargo pocket. He quickly, albeit carefully, places the sword back in its sheath and began walking away from the scene. “I will dispense the will of the gods to the old order. I will….”_

* * *

 

_**October, 2006** _

_Three months quickly pass since his first kill, already having started getting used to the whole regime: assassinate any corrupt individual, government individual and/or civilian, no questions asked. From his first kill to this point in time, the fox had already killed sixty-four corrupted individuals, whether in government power or civilian, and counting. His next two targets were in the walled alleyways leading to a government-run shrine in the area, with two predatory mammals walking along the path on the cool, rainy afternoon._

_The two predators conversing with one another were both wolves, one of them being a snow furred arctic wolf and the other an eastern timber wolf bearing brown and white fur. Both mammals were dressed in business suits of sort, the arctic wolf's suit being completely black and the timber wolf's being gray and black. Both of them were carrying black cases containing important documents inside with them. What the documents themselves were or what they contained, nobody but the two wolves knew. However, that was about to become irrelevant within a matter of moments._

“ _Hiding behind one of the stone walls, Matt Wilde places his hand-paws on the edge of the wall, peering on the right side of it and watches the two wolves heading away from him and towards their destination. He was pretty much dressed in the same exact clothes, minus the tank top, which was replaced with a tight fitting black long john shirt. The sleeves of his shirt were pulled up to his forearms as a personal preference for him. But due to his shirt being tight, the fox's slim, toned definition can be partially seen. But despite the clothing being wet thanks to the rain, it didn't matter on how tight or loose his clothing were. No, it was time to come in for the kill, the fox grabbing a hold of the handle of his katana and slowly approaches the two wolfs quickly, but quietly._

“ _Of course, lets get going”, the arctic wolf spoke towards the timber wolf next to him, unaware of the fox that was swiftly sprinting towards the two. The timber wolf's ears flicker to the sound of the fox's swift footsteps, yet by the time he turned to face them, Matt had already drew his sword._

“ _Hey! HEY!” were the last words the timber wolf shouted before swiftly getting brutally sliced from the left shoulder to the bottom right oblique muscle, killing the male immediately with blood splashing out of his heavy injury. The arctic wolf was about to call for help, but only an agonizing cry escaped his muzzle when Matt jumps upward and slashes his throat, killing him almost immediately with heavy amounts of blood escaping his cleanly lacerated neck._

“ _I will….”_

* * *

 

_**Late May, 2007** _

_Several months pass since Matt had eliminated the two wolves along the stone wall pathways leading to the government-run shrine. At this point in time, the fifteen year old's body had matured quickly, his body being toned and even showing some muscle definition through his black tank top. His attire was almost the exact same as the clothing he wore during his first kill, with the camouflage pants being a pure, dark green color. But his attire and appearance wasn't the only thing that changed as well, but the number of kills have increased significantly as well, By now, he has killed over a hundred-fifty individuals, government, civilian, even enemy clan members as well._

_Speaking of clans, Matt, along with a Iizuka and Katagai, were currently in the middle of fighting against the enemy clans who were aligned with the Neo-Bakufu, seventy enemy clan members to be precise. While Iizuka and the allied assassin had killed about twenty-five of them, Matt had the highest number of all, managing to kill about half of the enemy clan's members (and still counting) within the shortest period of time. Ten enemies remained, and at this point, they knew it was futile to continue fighting since Matt and his allies were a lot more skilled than they had anticipated. The enemies began to flee, only for the fox to slaughter them within a matter of seconds._

“ _ **Murder….** ”_

* * *

 

_**February, 2008** _

_Silence fills the lush environments of the woods, nothing but the lush forests, earthly soils, and puddles of fresh blood fill the scenery. Four of the five dead enemy clan members, all of them being wolves of various types, lay dead on the early soil, the fifth hanging dead on a tree with his sword pierced right through his neck. But like the wolf hanging dead on the tree, all of the others had their own swords pierced right through their bodies as if to resemble their tombstones. Matt was walking away from the bodies of the wolves he had killed, his weapon placed inside of his sheath_

_Ever since the battle against the other enemy clans back in may of 2007, both his body had further matured and the number of kills have increased as well. His body was now of the same muscular build he is known for at the time he kills John Bellwether, along with the same attire as well, his black tight fitting long sleeve athletic shirt showing off some of his muscle definition visibly. The number of kills he has now since his first kill up to the wolves from moments ago, is about three hundred assassinations in total, committed in under two years time. And now he has managed to make numerous names for himself, one in particular shall be remembered the most by the enemy clans of Kawasabus._

_Battousai, the Animal Slayer…._


	5. White Plum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Jenny's height has been changed slightly and Judy's height has been mentioned

_ **White Plum** _

  


Mornings wasn't the best time for many school students, particularly those who are attending high school since the students have to get up at around six in the morning in order to get ready for school on time. While almost every student in the class can do that, there are a few who cannot due to busy schedules. One such student is Matt Wilde, who has been getting up at about 7:20 in the morning most of the days due to oversleeping and nightly assassinations. And with having to report some of the assassinations to Thrandeer in person, he was sometimes known for arriving to school during the middle of first period. This morning, however, was an entirely different story. He managed to get up about half an hour earlier than usual in order to report to Thrandeer to inform him about his nightly killings, all while managing to get to first period class on time.

Although he was able to get to class on time, that didn't mean he was a morning person. No, despite having gotten a cup of espressoat the local Snarlbucks Coffee on the way, he was still dead tired. Whether the caffeine didn't work on him, the product being a cheap-ass quality, or if the nightly assassinations were starting to get to him tenfold, he did not know. However, what he did know was he had to at least stay awake and do a decent job in his classes, hoping to avoid having homework for his classes right after school.

Three days have passed since the assassination of John Bellwether, and a lot of talk was happening within the town of Kawasabus, especially in some of the classes Matt was taking at Kawasabus High School. Rumors began to spread across town that the Battousai had killed the late founder and CEO of Bellwether Enterprises. Fortunately, for Matt, the only information the people know about the killing was done by the Battousai himself. As for the identity of who the assassin really was, nobody knew, and the fox intended to make sure no one ever found out that it was he who is the Battousai, the one who murdered John.

The day has been going rather quickly for most of the students in Kawasabus High School, including high school senior, Matt Wilde. As of right now, it was the second half of fourth period Advanced Algebra class, the fox sitting at the desk in the back left corner of the room. The shirt he wore was of a jet black color, depicting Trivium's Shogun album cover on the chest and upper abdominal region of his torso. Under the shirt, he wore a tight fitting long sleeve V-neck shirt, being a slightly brighter shade of black to help contrast his T-shirt a bit, the long sleeves pulled up to his athletically built forearms. His slim bootcut jeans were of a distressed blue color, the jeans being mostly dark while sanded at the front of his thighs down to the lower parts of his knee. A few holes can be seen on the left thigh, left knee, and right thigh portions of his pants. A tan, rectangular bandage can be seen on the fox's left cheek, which covered the scar he had unexpectedly acquired from John before he had died by his hand. And fortunately, the others only assumed he had gotten the injury in an accident of some sort, thank god. Lastly, his black open toe boots cover his feet, for the most part, albeit cleaned up enough to where the scent of blood can't be traced by mammals with a stronger sense of smell.

At this time, he was partially struggling to keep awake in class, his left hand-paw being used to support his heads. His eyelids were barely three quarters open and barely even focusing what the instructor was writing on the dry erase board. Though lacking proper eye focus for the time being, due to being tired, his strong hearing made up for it, thankfully. What his eyes were able to capture was the various numbers along withA andB values being computed on the board with the use of black and blue dry erase markers. His eyes soon shift towards the professor shortly after seeing him finish writing on the board.

The math teacher himself is a six foot four inch tall golden-yellow and white furred cheetah, with dark brown spots covering most of his body. His teal eyes make an interesting color scheme to go with the golden-yellow fur on his body. His attire consists of a short sleeved light gray work shirt, a pair of dark tan slacks, and black leather shoes. His pants and shirt fit almost tightly on his body, thanks to the math teacher bearing a very well muscular body, one that can rival a lightweight bodybuilder easily. And speaking of his muscles, many of the students were intimidated by the cheetah's hulking appearance, much to the point where his presence can break up even the fiercest of fist fights. Matt leans back against his chair and began to stretch his arms, shutting his eyes and letting a silent yawn out of his muzzle. Unknown to him, that managed to get the instructor's attention and makes the professor point his right index finger towards him.

“Thank you for volunteering, Matt”, the math teacher spoke with a soft grin on his face, pointing his thumb towards the board where the problem was written. Matt's eyes widen with confusion upon hearing this, having only needing to stretch his own athletic arms. But right now, he wasn't in the mood for replying, so he stands up from his chair and walks up to the board, with the instructor grabbing a stepping stool for him to use. The teacher places the stepping stool in front of the board and allows the fox to quickly step up onto the top of the stool before grabbing a black marker.

The fox looks at the problem on the board, the problem being (X+2)(X-5)(X-3). He reads the problem carefully before pulling the cap of the marker off and begins working out the problem, taking his time to both look over the problem and ensure his writing was big enough for all students to read. The process ends up taking a few minutes to solve, thanks to him being thorough about solving his problems. But in the end, however, his answer ended up being X3-6X2-4X+30. Stepping off the stool as he did, the professor looks at the work the vulpine did and examines it carefully, nodding about a minute later after rechecking the work twice.

“Very good, Matt. A job well done”, the teacher replied, with the fox taking a seat at his desk and stretching his arms again. Interestingly enough, the final bell rings and many of the students, Matt included, start gathering their belongings. “Alright students, remember the Autumn Fair is this weekend, and I hope to see you guys at the fair. If not, I'll see y'all on Monday!” the cheetah finished, many of the students starting to walk out of class. Matt uses this opportunity to re-secure his long katana on his backpack, the weapon fortunately being hidden under plenty of long blankets and his black hoodie. Once it was re-secured, the fox grabs his lunch box and starts walking out of the classroom, although slightly quickly to ensure the professor doesn't spot anything odd about the item.

He manages to get out of classroom without having being questioned about the long item he had attached to his backpack. Although he wanted to avoid getting seen from some of the teachers, and possibly the cops, he was getting rather hungry. And thankful to the fact he was a pretty good cook (courteous of Thrandeer teaching him a couple years prior when he was getting his own place), he only needed to go to the student lounging area to get his food heated up.

About five long minutes of walking around, having to take a few detours to avoid being questioned about the long 'objected' that he was carrying, he enters the student lounging area and walks towards the microwave. Fortunately, the microwave was within reach, since for the most part, the smaller mammals like rabbits, foxes, and rodents had typically used the lounging area to eat in order to avoid the larger mammals. Setting his box next to the microwave, the fox grabs the microwave safe, rectangular shaped container and removes the lid, placing the container in the microwave and heating it up for a good couple minutes. The container carried grilled chicken teriyaki and stir fried yakisoba noodles inside. Yet although he was able to smell the contents he was heating up, he catches another scent heading his direction. And coincidentally enough, if he remembered correctly from his former master, Hiko, he recognized the scent that was as strikingly common as the smell of blood.

“White plum?”, Matt spoke softly to himself, taking a few more sniffs before turning towards his right. And the source of the white plum scent became clear, and who it was coming from.

The source of the pleasant scent has been coming from a female rabbit entering the student lounging area of the school, the rabbit being about two feet eight inches tall (not including the ears). Although shorter than the fox, he had to admit she was quite tall for her species. Her fur colors consist of a mixture of light brown and white fur, with hair bearing a mix of dark blonde and brown on top of her head. While most of her hair was tied back, her long, wavy bangs remained unbound and leaning towards the right side of her face to help give her hair an interesting, gorgeous look to it. Her articles of clothing consist of a dark red T-shirt, a pair of sanded blue skinny bootcut jeans, and a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor shoes. Her eyes were of a sapphire blue color, which shine beautifully in the right type of lighting. But one thing that made her stand out was not only her hourglass figure, but the fact that her breasts where a good DD-cup size, a very rare trait, from his understanding, for rabbits to have. And holy hell, he had to admit she looked pretty, no… beautiful! The female rabbit turns towards the fox and began to approach him, the vulpine being unaware of the microwave going off to signal his food had finished heating up.

“Excuse me, sir. Mind if I borrow the microwave”, the female rabbit asked, a Newcastle based English accent apparent in her voice. That snapped the fox out of his trance before nodding.

“Oh! Right! Sure thing, ma'am”, Matt replied with a soft, honest chuckle, quickly walking towards the microwave and opening the door with a press of a button.

“Thanks, lad”, the English rabbit replied, the fox nodding towards her before grabbing his food with one hand-paw and his lunch box with the other.

With his lunch ready to eat, the fox walks towards one of the small sized leather couches and takes a seat on it, the sofa being suitable to fit foxes, otters, bunnies, and any other predator/prey species of a similar size. Placing the food and lunch bag onto the coffee table as he did, he sets his backpack down on the floor between the table and the couch. His hand-paws grab a pair of chop sticks he had brought with him from home. He opens the packet and snaps the attached chopsticks in two, thus allowing them to use them as eating utensils and began to eat his lunch. Yet after taking a bite of his food, he notices the same rabbit he met with moments before grabbing her own lunch and walking towards the student lounge exit. Before leaving, however, the rabbit turns to face the fox before waving at him.

“Take care, sir!” the rabbit replied, turning her attention towards the exit before walking out of the lounging area with her lunch. With the female gone, the fox continues to resume eating his lunch, albeit taking his time with his food. But not only did he take his time with his food, thoughts began to enter his mind regarding the bunny. Yet as they cross his mind, he hears his phone going off and grabs it from the phone case on his right side, noticing on the caller ID it was Iizuka calling him during school. He presses the answer button on the touch screen and places the phone on the right side of his face.

“Iizuka, I'm at school right now. What's up?” Matt asked calmly, yet bore a slightly annoyed tone due to him calling during school.

“I wouldn't be calling around this time if it was nothing important”, Iizuka replied over the phone. “But it seems today is another story. I wanted to let you know our base of operations has temporarily been relocated to the Kawasabus Shrine Inn at the shopping district”.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” The fox asked with a curious tone of voice, looking around the lounging area while eating his lunch.

“As of right now, there isn't anything else we need to tell you”, Iizuka answered calmly over the other line. “But once I find out about something, I'll find you around town to let you know in person”, he added. “Talk to ya soon”, and with that, the tanuki hung up on the other line and nick places his phone back into the phone case on the right side of his body, a pair of chop sticks being used to help the fox consume his food once more. Whatever the assignment was, he will find out soon enough.

* * *

 

_**The Shopping District, four hours later** _

The outdoor shopping district is currently filled with large numbers of mammals ranging from various species, from the biggest of predators to the smallest of prey. Soft chatter can be heard amongst one another, which the volume was roughly a little lower than a massive number of students eating in a cafeteria. The clothing that the animals wore were of an interesting mix of Japanese and western cultures, ranging from the typical jeans and T-shirt, to the more traditional clothing like kimono shirts and hakama pants. But despite the differences with the articles of clothing, the entire district had one major similarity: business.

Walking along the pathway was none other than Matt Wilde himself, dressed in almost the exact clothing, with the exception of the Trivium shirt he wore earlier. Not only that, but the bandage that covered the scar on his left cheek had been removed as well, perhaps to let it air out. About an hour earlier, he had dropped off most of his belongings and removed the band shirt, since the weather, to him, was a bit warm for wearing two shirts. Since his long sleeved, tight fitting V-neck shirt was breathable, along with bearing a cooler feel to them, he decided to wear that shirt alone instead, despite his muscle definition being seen through the material. But before leaving home, he attached his sword on the left side of his body, the sheath being attached to his silver studded belt.

The fox's ears flickered to the sound of other people chatting with one another, whether it be about how pleasant the warm weather was, how they were gonna sell their produce in the rural outdoor markets, to even talking about personal matters as well. Continuing to walk along the path, passing by various mammals from a different number of species, he began looking around the various shops to see what they all carried, most of them being selling different types of food, a few clothing and homemade jewelry shops, even a weapons shop carrying nothing but swords and knives on the table. Before he could check out the weapons shop, however, his ears flicker to the sound of almost synchronized movements, and they were headed towards his direction. It wasn't long before the other mammals quickly hide within the safety of the outdoor shops or at least got out of the way.

Looking up as he did, he discovered the source of the sound and quickly enters one of the outdoor shops, hiding behind the curtains and looking towards the large group passing by. The large group consisted entirely of canines. While most of them were wolves, there were a couple foxes, German Shepherds, and even a couple of fox/wolf hybrids as well. Every canine in the group was wearing very identical clothing, which consists of a tight fitting, sky blue colored short sleeved shirt, with the shirts being tucked into their cool gray hakama pants. Each member had a sheathed katana attached to the left sides of their body, which were held by their cloth belts. Black, leather fingerless gloves covered their hand-paws, with similarly colored samurai gauntlets covering their forearms and the back of their hand-paws. Lastly, all of the members wore open toe combat boots on them, with colors ranging between black and brown.

Matt continues to examine the mysterious group for a moment before a sense of familiarity began to settle in his mind. He recognized these warriors as the Neo-Shinsengumi, which the group was a modern day revival of the original Shinsengumi special police force from Kyoto roughly a hundred fifty years ago. While many of them looked like common soldiers, an arctic wolf in the middle stood out from the rest of them. He noticed the wolf's long, raven black hair was tied back with a similarly colored ponytail, with only four forelock bangs that were sticking out similar to cockroach antennae. The male appeared to be about the age of twenty-five. His eyes formerly looked towards the pathway in front of him, yet soon shift towards Matt's direction. He may have not seen him directly, but the wolf managed to catch the scent of a smell that was as common as white plum.

The folf next to the wolf had noticed this almost right off the bat, turning his attention towards him before looking up at him curiously. He was roughly about the same age as the arctic wolf, yet bore the appearance to that of a seventeen year old. His medium-long brown hair was tied back with a black ponytail, with the exception of his bangs.

“Is something troubling you, Master?” the folf asked with a curious tone in his voice.

“I smell blood, Okita”, the wolf answered with a calm, suspicious tone in his voice, making the folf, Okita, look at him with a surprised look on his face.

“Huh?” Okita replied with the same surprised tone his expression was bearing. Yet shortly after this, he began chuckling a bit nervously before shutting his eyes. “Oh, it must be your warlord mind playing tricks on you, master Saito”, the folf commented with a nervous chuckle, yet the wolf wasn't pleased with the hybrid's comment.

“Okita”, Saito began, closing his eyes while he spoke as Okita opens his own set.

“Yes, master”, Okita quickly replied,.

“Choose your words carefully as though your life depended on them pleasing me”, Saito finished, with the folf next to him closing his eyes and nodding in a moderate, repetitive pace.

“Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes”, Okita replied as he and the others continue walking along the trail in the shopping district, the path leading directly towards the parking lot. Moments later, people began walking out of their hiding places and continue on with their daily lives, almost like the Neo-Shinsengumi never had passed through to begin with. Matt walks out of his spot and looks towards the departing gang, letting out a soft sigh from his muzzle.

“Look at that….” A voice spoke from behind the fox, with Matt turning his head towards his left and noticing Iizuka arriving next to him. “Its like they own the market”, the tanuki commented calmly, albeit disdainfully, before grabbing a hold of his shoulder with his right arm. “You're needed tonight”, he said to the fox, with the vulpine giving him a soft nod before turning to face the direction where he had came from earlier, the same direction the Neo-Shinsengumi group departed towards.

“I understand”, Matt replied calmly, his eyes slightly narrowing towards the direction he came. Iizuka sniffs the air a bit before turning to his left.

“Is that perfume I smell?” Iizuka asked, snapping the fox out of his trance before he, too, notices the scent Iizuka caught. Not just any scent, however, but a scent he immediately recognized.

“White plum, I believe”, Matt replied calmly, the tanuki's eyes turning to face the vulpine next to him.

“I'm surprised you know these things”, Iizuka admitted, but his eyes soon manage to catch a glimpse of a light brown and white furred rabbit carrying a crate of carrots towards the booth, placing some of them into the basket next to the basket containing blueberries. “Look at her”, the tanuki commented with a soft grin forming on his face. As soon as Matt turns to face the direction Iizuka was looking towards, he spots the female rabbit and immediately recognizes her right off the bat.

It was the same light brown and white furred rabbit he had bumped into during lunch hour at school, watching her finishing placing the appropriate number of carrots inside of the basket next to the blueberries. The only difference he notices about her were the articles of clothing she was wearing. The top she wore is a fern green tank top, which was interestingly tasteful enough to show off a bit of her cleavage. Her black short workout shorts fit almost tightly around those curvy hips of hers, white stripes running down along the sides of her shorts. Lastly, a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor shoes occupy her feet, the sames ones he saw her wear earlier.

“Not bad at all...” Iizuka said with a grin, watching the rabbit pulling up a chair and taking a seat on it, as if the booth she occupied was open for business. Iizuka turns to face the fox next to him, noticing the fox looking directly towards the female rabbit with a light blush on his face. “Got the hots for her, I see?” he commented with a widening grin on his muzzle, making the vulpine snap out of his trance and gaze directly at the tanuki with an annoyed expression.

“Iizuka!” Matt exclaimed, a few chuckles escaping from the tanuki's muzzle.

“Well, who would've thought a predator like you would have the hots for prey like her”, Iizuka commented with a comical grin on his face, the fox's blush getting redder by the second and his expression becoming more annoyed towards the tanuki. However, Iizuka pats his back and began walking away from the scene. “We'll talk again later tonight”, he said to the fox before leaving the scene, rushing out of the shopping district and leaving Matt there to himself.

Now the fox was left there to himself, he takes a few steps towards the direction he had originally planned on heading towards, wanting to continue towards the direction where the Neo-Shogunate had come from. But his feet refused to move any longer, and his eyes turn towards the booth the rabbit had occupied. He began to examine the booth a bit closely, noticing the huge table cloth bearing the 'Hopps Family Farm' logo on it, making him cock a curious brow upon seeing the name of the booth.

“Hopps Family Farm, huh…?” Matt wondered in his mind, placing his left hand-paw inside of the corresponding pocket, his right moving towards his chin and began stroking it softly. “If I recall correctly, that's a family owned business in the town of Bunnyburrow, just a couple hundred miles away from Zootopia”, he recalled in his mind before starting to debate if whether or not he wanted to check the place out (and perhaps have a bit of a chat with the rabbit he met with). But it seems his question was answered with an obvious growl inside of his stomach, making the fox sigh softly before letting a couple chuckles escape his mouth. “Heh, looks like I'll be checking out the Hopps Family Farm's booth after all”, he concluded to himself with a rub on the back of his head, placing his free hand-paw inside of his other pocket and starts walking towards the booth right across the dirt road.

Approaching the booth as he did, the fox notices a rather large number of crates in the back of the large shack that was occupied by the business. Various labels were placed on them, roughly half of them being carrots while the others were labeled as apples, blueberries, onions, garlic, and a few other fruits and vegetables. But despite seeing all of this, he notices a portable oven plugged in at the back of the shop, which was attached to the wall adjacent to the wall where the boxes were aligned. Speaking of the oven, he caught a smell of a fresh blueberry pie being cooked, the scent bearing an intoxicating sensation for him. That definitely caught his interest during his time in the district and helped brighten his mood. The fox arrives to the booth and began to look at the items being displayed on the table, the fruits and vegetables looking like they were freshly picked from a garden.

“Ah, hello there again, sir!” the English-born female rabbit Matt met earlier greeted, snapping the fox's attention and making him turn towards her. “How can I help you, sir?” she asked, leaning her body forward and her sapphire blue eyes looking up to his emerald green ones.

“Oh, uh…?” Matt began, rubbing the back of his head before beginning to browse around the baskets filled with food. “Well, I was browsing around the shopping district earlier to get some fresh air, but it seems my stomach is requiring some fuel, and here I am”, the fox replied with a slight chuckle in his voice. “Would it be possible to order a small slice of pie along with one basket of mixed fruits?” he asked, pointing towards one of the baskets on the left side of the shack behind the bunny, which carry a mixture of various types of applies, packaged blueberries, and a few peaches and mangoes. The female turns towards the basket he pointed at before looking back at him with a nod.

“Of course!” the rabbit replied before standing up from her seat and walking towards the basket, raising her feet up a bit to help reach the basket without any problem. Grabbing the basket as she did, the female walks back to the front with the basket in hand before placing it in front of the fox, the male reaching behind him for his wallet before pulling it out of his right back pocket. “Here ya go, sir. Though it may take another seven minutes for the pie to cook, plus a few more for it to cool off. Is that alright?” she asked.

“Sure”, Matt replied following a soft nod, opening his wallet and examining the amount of bills he had inside. “How much is the order ms…”

“Jenny, Jenny Bunni”, the rabbit, Jenny, replied before offering her right hand-paw to shake. The fox softly smiles towards the rabbit before grabbing hers with the corresponding hand-paw. “And your order will be about seven dollars and fifty cents”, she added.

“Likewise, Jenny. The name's Matt Wilde”, Matt replied, grabbing a ten from his wallet and handing it to her and shaking her hand-paw right after wards. “And I must admit your full name has a nice ring to it”, he complemented, causing Jenny to giggle warmly before pulling her hand-paw away from his.

“Thanks”, Jenny replied before looking towards her left, noticing a few wolves passing by that were dressed identical to the large group that passed by only a few minutes ago, losing her soft smile in the process. “Though I am curious about something”, she began, placing the ten inside of the cashier register before grabbing two dollars and fifty cents from it, handing the fox his change and allowing him to place it inside his wallet. “Who was that large group that passed by here a few minutes ago?” the female asked, the fox turning towards the direction and noticing a few wolves right across the dirt road, seeing them entering and browsing in the weapons shop while he placed his wallet back inside the back right pants pocket.

“Ah, those guys….” Matt replied following a soft shrug, shaking his head before turning to face the rabbit at the table. “They're members of the Neo-Shinsengumi group, a group consisting of modern day samurais who serve as a revival for the original Shinsengumi police force”, he explained, with Jenny nodding with understanding.

“Right, I've learned about the Shinsengumi during my seventh grade history class in Newcastle a year prior to moving into the US.”, Jenny claimed. “And if I recall correctly, the Shinsengumi were a special police force organized by the Bakufu during Japan's Bakumatsu period in 1864”, she continued, the fox nodding towards her words in response to her words. “But what I don't understand is why there's a revival group of the Shinsengumi in Kawasabus, Ohio, of all places”, the rabbit added.

“I'm not entirely sure myself, though I think it may have to do with the level of violence this town can get”, Matt claimed, with Jenny nodding before looking down towards the item he carried on his left side.

“Which I'm guessing is the reason why you're carrying a sword on you right now?” Jenny asked out of curiosity, unsure of the real reason why he was carrying it in the first place. Matt turns to his sheathed sword and grabs a hold of the sheath and moving it up a bit following a nod, then lowers it and turns his attention back to the rabbit.

“Pretty much, though I primarily wear it to keep any bandits off my tail or scare assailants off”, Matt answered. “Though if needed, I can also use it for self-defense purposes”, the fox added, the rabbit giving him an understanding nod upon hearing this. Yet after the fox answered, the rabbit notices the slash scar on the left side of his face.

“Though now that we mention it, Matt, what happened to your face?” Jenny asked, standing up and moving her right hand-paw towards his cheek. However, the fox quickly, yet calmly, takes a small step back from her with unexpected surprise, Matt's eyes widening slightly towards the rabbit after she reached for his scar. He wasn't surprised she asked, but he didn't expect her to raise her hand-paw towards his left cheek. Jenny immediately withdrew her hand-paw right after seeing him take a step back, tilting her head down and lowering her ears apologetically. “Sorry… I shouldn't have asked”, she apologized, but Matt places a reassuring hand-paw on her shoulder before smiling softly.

“Don't worry about it, Jenny. It's no big deal”, Matt replied reassuringly, the rabbit's head moving up to look at him with a soft smile in return. But now that she asked, how was he gonna answer her without it sounding suspicious? He wondered for a second, but quickly came up with a proper answer in his mind. “As for my injury, I got attacked by a few goons in an alleyway a few nights ago”, Matt answered half-honestly, having gotten struck in the face by one of his targets Tuesday night. Jenny loses her smile upon hearing this, her eyes widening at this as well “I'm grateful I was able to get out of there before I ended up in the hospital or dead, though.” the fox claimed before moving his left hand-paw to the back of his head and began rubbing it for a moment, only to place both of his hand-paws inside of his pants pocket. Jenny was about to say something else, but a loud DING from the oven managed to beat her at that.

“Oh, it looks like the blueberry pies are ready!” Jenny exclaimed and prepared to get up. However, she, along with Matt, notices a female rabbit approaching the oven.

The rabbit at the oven bore gray and light gray fur throughout her body, with black tips on her ears. She was about two and a half feet tall, not counting the ears, and just a couple inches shorter than Jenny herself. Her clothing consists of a short sleeve pink flannel shirt along with a pair of blue stonewashed jeans, which fit comfortably tight around her hips and thighs, yet bore a slight bootcut from the bottom of her knees to her feet. Unlike Jenny and Matt, she didn't wear any shoes whatsoever, yet this was of no surprise since some mammals choose to refrain or don't need to wear them.

“Judy, can you grab the pies out of the oven and cut a slice out for the customer for me once they're cooled off?” Jenny asked, the other rabbit turning around to nod at the two. Although surprised to see the customer being a fox, she does softly smile at the sight of Jenny having a conversation with the fox. Placing a couple of oven mitts onto her hand-paws, she quickly opens the oven door and grabs the two blueberry pies and places them on the tray next to it. She closes the oven door and began to cut the pies with the carving knife next to it.

“So how long have you been working with the Hopps Family Farm?” Matt asked with a curious tone while moving his arms upward, stretching them a bit before placing his hand-paws behind his head. He recalled having been to the family farm before with his late mother a few times, the last visit being a few months before his mother's death.

“I started working with Judy and her father, Stu, back in July after helping them around their place for a bit in order to help them make some extra money for their family back in their hometown”, Jenny answered while Matt continues to look at the rabbit and nod with genuine interest. “I've met them back in June when they temporarily moved down from Bunnyburrow to Kawasabus, which coincidentally enough, moved into a house across the street from mine. I tend to help them whenever they need me to, and they asked me to come here after school to help them with their booth”, the rabbit finished. And right as she did, Matt turns to the right a bit and notices Judy arriving to the front with a paper plate holding a piece of pie, a large fork placed next to it.

“Here you go, sir”, Judy said, the fox taking the plate with his right hand-paw before placing his left forearm under the basket strap, allowing him to carry his basket while he could eat.

“Thanks, Ma'am”, Matt replied with a thankful nod before grabbing the fork and cutting a slice to eat. Before putting the cut piece into his muzzle, however, he places the plate on the booth and grabs his phone from his phone case. “Oh, and before I forget, Jenny, is it alright if I get your digits?” he asked, the light brown and white furred rabbit's eyes widening a bit with surprise. However, she smiles softly and nods towards him, grabbing her white ICarrot 3G phone and pulling up her number, turning it over and allowing him to copy her number into his contacts. He saves the contact and pulls up his number, showing it to Jenny before she starts copying his digits onto her phone. She gives the fox a soft hug before pulling way a second later. “Let's talk again sometime”, the fox spoke with a soft smile on his muzzle before grabbing his plate and turning towards the direction where he was originally heading, departing from the place and eating his pie slowly on the way.

“Talk to you soon, Matt!” Jenny replied, her tone being happy to the point where she was smiling noticeably. Judy pulls up a chair and began to have a conversation with the other female rabbit, with Jenny telling her about the conversation she's had with the fox. And while the late afternoon has brightened from it, tonight would be an entirely different story…

* * *

 

_**Inside Matt's hotel room, 9:30 pm** _

Everything was quiet inside Matt Wilde's hotel room with the exception of the HDTV playing. The room also being clean for the most part, since there were a couple empty boxes of Japanese food on the coffee table, having ordered some chicken teriyaki along with thick ramen noodles with steamed veggies earlier. Hell, for a hotel room, even for a fox like him, it was surprisingly the same size of a one room apartment. The sliding door leading to his bedroom was on the left of him the entrance to his hotel being on the right.

The fox's attire was now different from what he had worn earlier. Although the tight fitting shirt and the gloves he wore on this hand-paws remained, his bottoms were another story. Instead of wearing the sanded blue denim jeans he wore at home, he now wore a pair of monochrome camouflage cargo pants, the leg openings being tucked inside of his black, open toe boots.

The HDTV in the bedroom was currently displaying the Kawasabus news channel, the news anchors having talked about the large number of assassinations around the area. Although the count continues to rise, the main one that they continued to talk about was the death of John Bellwether and how his death was affecting both the lives of those who knew him along with his employees at Bellwether Enterprises. The fox rolls his eyes upon hearing this before grabbing the TV remote on the coffee table, turning the TV off before placing it back on the coffee table next to a bottle of saki. Now that he sees the bottle, he grabs a hold of a small shot glass next it before grabbing the bottle itself, pouring himself a small portion of the alcoholic beverage before placing the bottle on the table. He was about to drink the small bit of saki in his shot glass before hearing a voice coming from the hallway, causing him to cease his actions.

“Its frightening! How could anybody feel safe when a whole army of killers can march down the street like that?!” A female voice said in the hallway, loud enough for Matt to hear thanks to his keen hearing. He finally raises his glass and quickly drinks the alcoholic liquid, the saki traveling from his mouth down to his stomach immediately. He leans forward and grabs the bottle a second time, pouring himself another glass before placing the bottle back down.

“My cousin told me that the Neo-Shogunate is executing anybody they suspected of being a patriot. It terrifies me!”, another female voice claimed, the fox raising his shot glass to where he can see the liquid eye level. But the more he looked at it, something didn't seem right about it at all. The taste of it didn't seem right about the beverage one bit, Was it tasteless, or did it taste like blood? That he didn't know. But this did make him remember something his former master once said to him…

* * *

 

_**Within the lake near the Hiten Mitsurugi Dojo, April, 2005** _

_It was on a cool, spring night at the lake near the Dojo, with Hiko Seijuro and his pupil, thirteen year old Matt Wilde, both of which who were staring at the stars above. The wolf had a bottle of saki attached to his left forearm, and a small cup held in the corresponding hand-paw. He was dressed in his usual attire since the day Matt had met him. As for Matt, on the other hand, he was sitting on the stone rock wearing a midnight blue short sleeved athletic shirt, black fingerless gloves, and camouflage cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into the black open toe boots. The fox's eyes shift towards the wolf upon hearing him clearing his throat, as if to grab the teen kit's attention._

“ _Spring brings Cherry blossoms to comfort you, the summer stars, the harvest moon in fall, and the powdered snow in winter. All of these things, and the promise of them is what makes saki taste so good”, Hiko explained to his pupil before raising the small cup and drinking the alcoholic contents inside. He turns to face his student before grinning softly, raising his up and . “One day, you will understand this, and then I shall pour saki for the both of us”, the wolf finished, the fox continuing to gaze at him for another moment before tilting his head upward, looking at the night sky above and watching the beauty of its stars._

* * *

 

_**Inside the hotel room, October 2 nd, 2009** _

Silence continues to fill the air inside of the hotel room, with Matt continuing to gaze towards his own reflection through the shot glass filled with saki. His eyes stare at the liquid with a calm, stern look in them. But with a simple DING going off on his phone, that snapped the vulpine out of his gaze and makes him place the shot glass on the table again. Pulling out his phone with a right hand-paw, he slides his thumb across several directions to unlock his phone before opening his messages. And the message itself had come from one the examiner of executions.

“ _The time's come, Matt. Be sure to bring an Umbrella with ya just in case, though_ ”, was what Iizuka's text message said before Matt presses the top button to lock his phone, placing it back in its case before standing up from the couch. He grabs his sword from behind the bottle of saki and attaches it on the left side of his body before turning towards the door, walking towards the exit and grabbing the black umbrella on the way out. Grabbing the key card to his hotel room and placing it inside of his wallet, he places his wallet inside his back pocket and walks out of the room, shutting the door behind him as he left.

The text message Matt received from Iizuka did not lie about the weather, the rain pouring down heavily in the shopping district. He was grateful to receive this knowledge prior to heading out, or otherwise would've been soaking wet. Not like he was getting wet on parts of his body as it is. However, regardless of the weather conditions, Matt continues to walk along concrete roads, the clouded moonlight serving as his light source and his nocturnal vision serving as his guide. The rain may have been hitting the ground hard, but that will not stop the fox from walking towards the destination where his next targets lie.…


	6. Bloody Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: A slight adjustment has been made to the Ninja's height to fit the Zootopia Universe as close as possible (based on his species and the height charts I've seen online).

_ **Bloody Rain** _

  


Rain pours heavily within the shopping district of Kawasabus, Ohio, the moonlight being covered by the thick rain clouds in the sky. Hardly a single sound can be heard due to the heavy rain pouring down onto the wet concrete… or that would be the case right until now that is. The sound of a person's soft, agonizing cries can be heard within an alleyway several blocks away from the Kawasabus Shrine Inn, only for a moment before they went silent. And a deadly diagonal slash with a blade had sought to that.

The three victims that were assassinated were all ocelots, roughly being around the ages of twenty-nineto thirty-seven. The victims' clothing were the exact same, consisting of a brown, tight fitting shirt along with a pair of sanded blue hakama pants. Black high top, open toe boots covered the dead group's foot-paws, much like a pair of fingerless gloves covered their hand-paws. Based on the articles of clothing, the victims looked identical to an assassin from another clan, yet were either too weak to put up a fight against his opponent, or never saw him coming. Either way, the ocelot's katana was pierced right through their chests, the handle of the blade sticking up as if to resemble graves.

As for the one who dealt the deathly deed to the three enemy clan members was none other than Matt Wilde himself, who's blade was sheathed after the killings. He held an umbrella with his right hand-paw to keep the rain from dropping onto his body, while his left held a rag against the scar on his left cheek. Since he had gotten that injury, his scar bled profusely after every assassination he committed. And according to Iizuka, the tanuki walking next to Matt on his right, he claimed the victim whom gave the fox his scar was seeking revenge even in death. Whether or not it was true, he was unsure. Though speaking of Iizuka, he was rather pleased with the outcome of the killings, much to the point where he began stroking his own jaw.

“You are a master of the art, Matt. Three mammals down and not a single drop of blood on you”, Iizuka began. “Lets go get some sake and celebrate”.

“No thanks”, Matt replied calmly, having had some saki earlier and didn't exactly like the taste of it tonight. Iizuka was a bit surprised to hear this, yet nonetheless chuckles softly before turning to face him.

“I see”, Iizuka began before turning towards the front, retaining a soft grin on his muzzle. “We'll I'll go ahead and drink a few for you then. See ya later”, and with those words, the tanuki starts walking away from the scene and into the night, his sights heading to the bar to have himself some shots of high quality saki.

With Matt now left to himself, the fox began walking back towards the hotel with the intention of taking it easy for tonight. Since it was on a weekend, he can probably make some plans for himself and perhaps manage his time between hanging out with Jenny again and his assassination assignments. Those thoughts that crossed his mind definitely brought a soft, barely noticeable smile on his muzzle. But unaware to the fox, a pair of malicious yellow eyes have been watching him from a distance, waiting for the right moment to execute his own plans.

* * *

 

_**Inside the Inn Penthouse** _

The sound of Instrumental Japanese music can be heard within the Inn's penthouse, the room in which served as Thrandeer Katzuma's room and base of operations. Inside the bedroom bore three occupants inside: Thrandeer Katzuma himself, Katagai, and a red and white furred female, nine tailed kitsune who was acting both as the maid and a musician. While Thrandeer and Katagai were dressed in their usual outfits, the female kitsune was dressed in a dark purple kimono dress with a light blue kimono ribbon wrapped around her torso, particularly just above her hips. Her long, fur-matching hair was tied back with a dark purple ribbon along with a few similarly colored, delicately decorated hair pins to add a bit of decoration to her hairdo. The instrument she was playing was a ruan, which was a circular, four string Chinese instrument with a short neck and four long tuning machines. The body color was an amber color along with two fox head shaped carvings on the body, one on the left and the other on the right. She was currently playing a soft melody on the ruan when the male deer began to speak.

“Its been almost four years now”, Thrandeer began, the female kitsune plucking on one of the strings with her fingers. “His body has grown, yet his body remained the same as it always was”, the deer claimed, turning away from Katagai for a moment to drink the cup of sake, raising his small cup to his mouth and drinking the contents quickly before turning. “He doesn't display the stain of his actions on his conscience”, the buck added.

“Then the boy is lucky”, Katagai claimed.

“No”, Thrandeer began. “It means that there's a hidden part of him that knows what he has been doing. It will surface, and then devour him”, the buck finished, pouring himself another glass of saki at the same moment the female kitsune ceased her playing. The finger she was using to pluck the strings rests on the topmost string, her content face quickly becoming one full of unexpected shock. She gasped softly at what Thrandeer had said regarding Matt. Was Thrandeer right about what he said about Matt? She wasn't sure. But right now, all she could do at the moment was stare at them as the two men continue to have a conversation with one another in silence….

* * *

 

_**Within a local bar, Shopping District** _

A large number of voices can be heard within a local bar, which was located just a couple blocks from the Kawasabus Shrine Inn, and roughly five to six blocks away from where the recent assassinations have occurred. A huge number of mammals, predator and prey alike, were inside the bar relaxing drinking various types of alcoholic beverages, whether it be the soft ones like lager, or the harder ones like vodka. But for the most part, many of the customers inside were drinking sake.

Near the back of the bar, three rabbits were sitting at a prey sized table to accommodate their species, drinking their beverages while conversing with one another. Two of the rabbits were female while the third one, coincidentally the eldest of them, was male. The two females were Judy Hopps of Bunnyburrow and Jenny Bunni of Newcastle, England, both of whom were dressed in the same attire from when they worked at the booth earlier. Judy had an order of water while Jenny, on the other hand, had an order of a fruit-mixed sake in a shot glass. The male himself, interestingly enough, had ordered a carrot flavored lager, which unlike Jenny's beverage, which was in a shot glass, his was in a dark brown glass bottle.

The male was a rabbit bearing fur colors identical to Jenny's, but with a slightly darker, slightly paler brown fur tone for the main fur color, yet the secondary bore a tan color instead of the white fur Jenny had for the secondary color. He was somewhere within his mid forties to early fifties. His eyes were of a light brown color, where Jenny's were a sapphire blue. His clothing consists of a pair of blue denim overalls along with a light green plaid shirt being worn under the overalls. The sleeves of his plaid shirt were rolled up a little past his elbows. A white shirt can be seen underneath the plaid shirt, most likely used as an undershirt to help reduce the amount of sweat from working. A green four leaf clover patch can be seen attached to the front pocket of his overall's. On his head, he wore a green colored hat with a carrot patch sewn on the front of his hat. Coincidentally enough, the beverage he had ordered was a carrot flavored lager, which unlike Jenny's beverage, which was in a shot glass, his was in a dark brown glass bottle.

The three rabbits have been there for the past hour now, casually conversing with each other and drinking their alcoholic beverages (minus Judy, as she had ordered a water earlier). The male rabbit was only currently drinking one beer, while Jenny on the other hand had drunk roughly about seven shots of sake within the hour they were there. She was already somewhat intoxicated because of the amount of alcohol she drank, yet she was still coherent enough to recognize the environment around her. While the sweet flavor of the beverage was enjoyable, she couldn't have anymore, or else she would end up getting drunk to the point she couldn't think or walk properly. Standing up from the table and grabbing her umbrella as she did, the rabbit began to walk towards the front before feeling someone placing a concerned hand-paw onto her shoulder.

“Where ya going, Jenny?” the male rabbit asked, a concerned tone in his country accented voice. The English rabbit turns her head to the right and looks at him, her eyes mostly open and a faint blush on her face. It wasn't a blush from that of a shy woman, but one to signify one's intoxication, faint or strongly apparent.

“I need to head home, Stu…” Jenny answered, which her speech was surprisingly not slurred despite the alcohol in her system. The male rabbit, identified as Stu, looks towards her with a concerned look on his face. Jenny began to grab her wallet from her back pocket, but the male rabbit grabs her wrist gently as if to stop her, causing Jenny to look at him with a curious look on her face. “What… what are you-”

“You don't worry about a thing, Jenny. I got this”, Stu interrupted with a soft smile on his face before removing his hand-paw away from her wrist. Judy stands up from her seat and pulls her high school friend into a soft hug.

“You go on ahead and get home, Jen. Dad and I will call you sometime tomorrow”, Judy said before pulling away from the hug, the English rabbit looking at the two before nodding softly. Turning to face Stu, she wraps her arms around him softly before pulling away a moment later. Turning away from the two rabbits before her, she began walking out of the bar without bumping into anything, albeit sluggishly because of the alcohol in her system. The moment she steps out of the bar was when the rabbit pulls her umbrella out and begins walking home, the rain dropping both rapidly and heavily on the ground in the silence of night.

* * *

 

_**At the alleyway near the assassination site** _

The rain continues to pour heavily in the quiet tranquility of night, with a male vulpine walking along the alleyway to continue with his path. He remained silent throughout the walk, and his eyes remain as as alert as a fox hunting his prey. His left hand-paws holds the handle of his sword as if he were expecting an attack at any moment, using the umbrella to keep his eyes. His green eyes remain focused on what was in front of him with the exception of occasionally looking at both his left and right. A light rustling sound goes off in the west, the fox's ears flickering slightly and causing him to turn towards the same direction. Narrowing his nocturnal eyes as he did, he focuses on where the sound had come from. But upon seeing nothing but the rustling of the leaves, he turns his head back to the front and silently continues walking back to the hotel several blocks away.

Unbeknownst to Matt, at the entrance to another alley up ahead on the right, a lone figure hides silently against the wall out of the fox's view. The lone figure in the shadows was a white furred Siberian tiger with black stripes on most parts of his body. He was dressed in what appears to be a modern take on a ninja outfit, the top consisting a long sleeve tight fitting black shirt with a sleeveless dark gray kimono shirt worn on top of it. The dark gray muzzle mask the tiger wore covers his muzzle through its entirety, with over a dozen small, pencil thick holes cut to allow the male to breathe. His cargo harem pants matched the same color as his sleeveless kimono shirt, the leg openings tucked in a pair of black combat boots, which were not open toe like Matt's were. Lastly, a pair of dark gray leather gauntlets were worn on his forearms, the gauntlets going from his muscular forearms up to the back of his hand-paws.

In the tiger's hand-paws were two katanas, which a thick, long chain was attached to one another by the ends of the handles. The swords themselves were proportionate to the owner's size, the tiger being just over eight feet in height, his tiger sized katana being about five feet in overall length, and his tiger sized wakizashi being about three feet overall length. With these in hand, the tiger looks to the right and watches his opponent coming towards his direction. He waited for the right moment to execute his plans, with each passing second passing nearly as long as minutes. With the widening of his eyes, the tiger suddenly throws one of the swords towards the fox and slashes the umbrella in half. Although he destroyed the umbrella, the blade failed to strike the fox at all, thanks to the fox's keen vision. Nonetheless, the fox draws his sword with his right hand-paw and grips onto the handle of his weapon tightly, all while the mysterious assassin pulls on the chain to bring his blade back to him.

“Neo-Shinsengumi?” Matt asked with a calmly stern tone, examining the clothing for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “No, you're a hired assassin like me”, the fox added, remaining where he was at without making another move. No, his eyes were on the other assassin a good several meters right across from him. From the moment he saw him, he knew a battle was bound to be inevitable….

* * *

 

_**Inside Thrandeer's penthouse, about the same time** _

Japanese music can be heard within the thin walls of the Japanese-themed penthouse, with similarly instrumental music continuing to be played by the female kitsune herself. As pleasant as the music was, all three of them knew the pleasantries wouldn't last much longer. Katagai proves his point by grabbing his sheathed sword and beginning to stand up onto his feet-paws, the bear needing to head out of the room.

“I must return to the other mammals tonight”, Katagai said, now standing on his feet-paws and turns towards the male buck next to him.

“Of course, Katagai”, Thrandeer replied with a nod.

“We'll hold Miyabe's rebels for the time being”, Katagai spoke while the female kitsune stands up and walks towards the sliding door, pulling it open gently enough to where the bear could leave.

“Be wary of the Neo-Shinsengumi faction”, Thrandeer warned calmly.

“Yes sir”, and with those words escaping Katagai's mouth as the bear walks out of the penthouse, the female kitsune closing the sliding door before turning to face the deer inside.

“You've talked all night”, the female kitsune commented, a soft, content smile on her muzzle.

“Enough for an entire lifetime”, Thrandeer responded.

“Would you like more sake?” the kitsune maid asked, making the buck close his eyes and shake his head.

“No, I cannot taste it”, Thrandeer answered calmly, yet continues to hold the small cup of sake in his hand-paws. The female gasps softly upon hearing what he said before beginning to approach him.

“Are you feeling alright?” the female kitsune asked, the clan leader's eyes reopening and turning towards her directions.

“Against mad mammals, the struggle will never end”, Thrandeer answered following a heavy shrug, placing the small cup of sake onto the coffee table. Standing up from the mat as he did, the buck turns towards his bedroom and opens the sliding door. “If you need me, I will be resting in my room”, the buck added right before closing the door behind him and turning off the lights inside, leaving the female kitsune to herself in the living room portion of the penthouse.

* * *

 

_**At the alleyway near the assassination site** _

It was the calm before the storm, a strong, fierce amount of tension fills the air as rain continues to pour heavily in the darkest of night. The clouds in the sky have now thickened to the point where not even the moonlight can be seen at the alley. Two pairs of eyes gaze towards one another, those of a tiger and that of Matt Wilde. Both male predators were silent, their grips tightening around the handles of their swords.

Battle between one another was now inevitable, and both men knew this the moment they crossed paths with each other, the moment the tiger had attempted to strike him with one of the chained katanas. The two predators stared at each other for what seems to be hours to them, not a single move made despite the amount of violent buildup of energy that was forming between the two. Then it explodes with a violent roar, the ninja assassin suddenly throwing the same sword he used to destroy the fox's umbrella towards the fox himself. But Matt was no idiot, however, for he swings his own sword horizontally to the left as means to block the attack effortlessly, thus knocking the ninja's right katana away from him. The tiger quickly pulls the chain towards him and brings his own sword back to him, tightening his grip on both handles of his blades.

All of the sudden, the ninja starts sprinting towards the fox at a rather extreme pace, nearly matching the pace to that of a bullet fired from a gun. But that didn't intimidate the fox at all. No! That further ignited the swordsman's spirit within him. The fox's eyes narrow slightly towards the ravenous ninja before suddenly darting towards his opponent in a similar pace. Blades start clashing against one another, the loud clinking sounds repeating with blow after blow. Both warriors were bound to kill the other, yet the victor will be decided at the right moment based on their actions.

All of the sudden, the tiger jumps a good several meters away from the fox before jumping onto the roof of the one story stone buildings across from the stone wall. Matt follows in pursuit and began swinging his blade against the ninja assassin's own, jumping from one room to another as the two continue to fight. The feline assassin notices a five story building resembling a pagoda within the next couple of blocks and quickly jumps roof to roof in order to get to his destination. Like before, the fox remains in hot pursuit and continues to strike his opponent swiftly despite the feline blocking the attacks easily.

Arriving to the pagoda building as the tiger did, he jumps onto the second story roof, then to the third, and before he knew it, they were on the top of the fifth and final story roof. The two were constantly clashing blades against one another on the way up there, yet upon arriving the fifth story roof, the two ceased their movements with their swords at hand. They remained as still like they have only moments ago, almost as if both warriors had never fought one another despite softly panting because of the effort they've put into trying to kill one another. Now that killing has been mentioned…

“Who the hell is this guy…?” Matt wondered within his mind, his green eyes gazing towards his opponent's fiery yellow eyes. “I'm already certain he's a hired assassin like myself” the fox continued his train of thought, watching the ninja preparing to continue the battle, the fox doing the same himself. “But now that I think about it, there's no doubt he's a ninja from the Orimakishu clan”, the male finished his thought, right at the very moment he darts towards the tiger with a ferocious speed, the ninja quickly doing the same with his blades in hand.

Now that the battle's continued, the sounds of clashing blades can be heard throughout the rooftop. Regardless of how heavy the rain was pouring, the two assassins continue fighting on the roof as if the rain never poured. But as the battle progressed, the tiger quickly kicks the fox off of the roof with the use of his left foot-paw, yet Matt manages to make an aerial recovery and lands on the top of the third story roof. His eyes gaze towards his opponents, then looks back towards the direction of the alleyway they fought, then back up to him with a new idea in mind. As interesting as a rooftop battle is, he couldn't risk anybody else seeing the ongoing fight on the roof. With this in mind, the fox's eyes remain facing towards the ninja assassin and starts jumping backwards, occasionally turning back to make sure he was going the right direction.

It didn't take Matt long for him to return to the alleyway where the battle first began, landing on the concrete ground and looking around for his opponent. He had his eyes upon the assassin he was fighting, but now he was nowhere in sight. Something was wrong, and the fox knew it immediately. Nevertheless, he remains calm and began to survey his surroundings, his green eyes shifting left and right slowly as an attempt to remain alert. Unfortunately, his keen vision won't be able to see what was about to happen next.

A loud roar escapes the muzzle of the assassin trying to kill Matt, causing the fox to turn towards his right. He quickly blocks the right katana the tiger had threw without his knowledge, but that didn't stop the tiger from quickly wrapping the chain he bore around the fox's torso, the very same one attached to the ends of the ninja's swords. Fortunately, the fox was able to move his arms before he was suddenly chained up by the feline. Despite the stern look on Matt's face, he was genuinely surprised at this. How could he not have seen this coming? But right now was not the time to mentally answer that himself, especially after seeing the tiger jump onto the roof with the other end of the chain in his possession.

“Great…” Matt growled, his eyes narrowing towards the tiger before noticing him pulling on the other end of the chain. His left side starts dragging towards the direction in which the ninja was pulling, but there was no way in hell the fox was gonna let himself get dragged without a fight. In retaliation, the vulpine grabs a hold of the chain and began pulling back against it, the muscles on his left arm flexing slightly due to his efforts pulling on the chain.

Unaware to both assassins, a female mammal with an umbrella began approaching the alleyway and makes a left turn towards it. The mammal stumbled slightly in her walks, yet for the most part walked as if she didn't have any alcohol in her sister. The heavy rain was pouring down hard enough to the point where her footsteps would be difficult to hear under the given circumstances. Either way, the female mammal continues to walk towards her destination with little stumbling in her walking, passing some bushes on the way to her home.

Up head, and coincidentally unaware to the female, the struggle between Matt and the ninja assassin continues to progress, both mammals trying to pull on the chain to see who yanks who towards one another. The tiger was indeed incredibly strong, yet the fox bore the higher endurance level. Either way, their muscles were straining, and both of them were becoming progressively exhausted. Something needs to be done about this, and quickly at that. Matt's eyes were starting to close, and his teeth were gritting against each other. He was unsure of how much he could bear with it… but then he spots the other male's right sword, still attached to the chain they were struggling with. An idea suddenly forms into his mind, the fox's swordsman spirit began to burn, and if his cards were played right, he may get out of this alive. The fox's eyes quickly shift directly up towards the ninja and narrows them directly towards the tiger's eyes.

It was in that moment when the tiger grabs the chain with his other hand-paw, while still holding the left katana, and suddenly jumps several feet up in the air from the roof. He quickly performs an aerial spiral and attempts to wrap the chain around his own body. However, the fox had him right where he wanted, and the time to act upon his own strategy came. Matt quickly grabs the chain with his right hand-paw (while still holding his sword nonetheless), and pulls the chain towards him. Quickly grabbing the other part of the chain with his left, he pulls the ninja's right sword towards him and grabs a hold of it with his left hand-paw, holding his enemy's sword with a reverse grip. Now it was time for the kill.

With a loud growl escaping the fox's muzzle, he raises his enemy's blade upwards and leaps forward, his body leaning towards the tiger to add a bit of momentum to his jump. The tiger realizes what the fox had planned all along, and tries to block his own blade with the left katana. Unfortunately, that plan failed when the sword slid off of the other blade, and it would end up being the last moment the tiger would ever remember. Matt slices the ninja's body from the upper right shoulder down towards the right side of his opponent's crotch, blood splattering out of the victim's body and spraying the bloodied contents throughout parts of the alley. Unbeknownst to Matt, however, some of the blood manages to splatter onto the female mammal's umbrella and parts of her body, a soft gasp escaping her mouth.

He lands onto the concrete ground several feet away from where the ninja's body now lay dead. The fox was nearly drained of energy, and he suddenly kneels down onto the ground, panting for air and holding himself up with his deceased enemy's right katana. His scar began bleeding mildly for the second time that night, his blood dripping down from his left cheek onto the ground below. The smell of blood began to fill the air, but it wasn't the only thing Matt's nose had caught. The fox's nose manages to car the scent of white plum in the air, making his eyes widen only slightly in terms of curiosity.

“Huh….” Matt uttered softly from his muzzle, raising his head upward and looking straight as the source of the smell of white plum. And standing before him was the very person he last expected to witness such a killing.

Jenny Bunni was standing their with her slightly widened eyes fixed upon him, parts of her fur and her clothing now drenched with the dead ninja's blood. Speaking of her attire, he noticed she wore the exact same clothing that she has since he saw her at the shopping district. But what he didn't see before was the faint blush on her face, along with how the irises of her eyes were slightly dilated. Yet right now he was too shocked to see her presence here, especially with everything that had gone down within the past few minutes.

The fox began to stand up from the same spot he knelt onto earlier, his eyes also fixed upon the rabbit standing only five feet away from him. His hand-paws began to shake slightly with shock and making the swords tremble a bit in correlation with his hand movements. For the first time in his life, since the day he had lost his mother, he legitimately didn't know what to do other than continue panting with unexpected shock.

“Y-you...” Jenny began with an unusually calm, surprised tone in her voice, giving off hints that she's had a few drinks earlier that day. But that didn't matter to him. What mattered was the fact he had been caught by the woman he had just met, the woman whom he got her digits from. “You caused it…. You caused the rain to bleed…” the rabbit continued, the fox's eyes widening a bit with shock in his voice. “You...” the female finished. And with the way she said that last word, he could've sworn he heard her say it with malice in her voice. Whether he was hearing things or of she was actually building up a malicious tone, he did not know. At that instance, he drops the sword he used to kill his enemy, yet retains his hold on the one he actually owns.

“She saw me… she knows…”, Matt began within his mind, panting rather rapidly now because of the amount of shock he bore on him. “Should I… should I kill her…?” as soon as that thought crossed his mind, his eyes widen slightly and tilts his head down, shaking it left and right faintly. “No… I can't. it wouldn't be right… why would I think of such a thing…?” the fox wondered in his head, legitimately wondering why that thought crossed his mind. But his train of thought soon ceases with a flicker of his ears, blinking once before tilting his head up and looking at the rabbit in front of him.

“You're bleeding”, Jenny said to the fox, her right hand-paw now raised and began walking towards the fox, albeit slowly because of the alcohol in her system. “Let me…. Let me help… you”, that was all she could say before her eyes close and she unexpectedly began to collapse slowly right on the spot, dropping her umbrella on the spot. Matt's eyes widen a tad bit and rushes towards her, no longer shocked about her witnessing him slay the tiger. Catching her with his left arm, he was able to prevent her from falling onto the wet ground. He blushed slightly at the moment he notices her DD-cup breasts pressing against his forearm, but he ignored that and gently kneels down. Laying his sword down as he did, the fox gently turns the rabbit over to where his left forearm rests under her back. Blood began dripping onto the female's face, which to no surprise was thanks to the fox's now bleeding scar.

“White plum…” Matt said softly, his right hand-paw moving towards her head and wiping the blood off of her face.

He knew they couldn't stay in the outdoors for much longer, albeit they catch a cold or if the cops catch them there at the scene of the murder. And one thing for certain was he had no intention on sticking around for much longer. He lifts his left leg up a bit and rests her head on it, allowing him to grab his blade and quickly, yet carefully, place the sword back into its sheath. His attention turns towards the umbrella and reaches it with the use of his right hand-paw, grabbing the parasol by its handle and puts it away. The only thing left he had to do after placing the sheathed umbrella on one of the cargo loops on his pants was to dispose of the umbrella he used, since that was the only remaining bit of evidence that was left of his involvement there.

Placing the unconscious bunny behind his back, his arms wrapping around her thighs and her arms wrapped around his neck (courtesy of Matt himself), the fox quickly rushes to grab his destroyed umbrella and sheaths it back as much as possible. Thanks to the strap on the parasol, he was able to manage and places the umbrella through the cargo loop on the opposite leg. Now was time to get the hell out of there before they were spotted! With his arms secured around the bunny's thighs, and a quick reassurance of hers arms wrapped around his torso, the fox starts sprinting back to the Inn where he was staying, the heavy rain washing away the dead ninja's blood away from the concrete and of any other evidence that remained of Matt's involvement.

* * *

 

_**Inside the Kawasabus Shrine Inn Lobby** _

Business seems to have quieted down as the night continues to progress. Earlier that evening, many local citizens had entered the hotel lobby to check into any of the available rooms or, at the very least, had came inside to temporarily get out of the heavily pouring rain. That was roughly over an hour ago when the rain began pouring heavily. And while it continues to pour heavily outside, it wasn't as heavy as it was when it first began, having become light enough for the locals to begin driving back to their homes, albeit with caution.

Now the lobby was void of any customers inside, yet only a female gray fox resides inside behind the receptionist desk. The vixen was well within her thirties, yet bore the appearance to that of someone within their early to mid twenties thanks to plenty of exercise and a well managed healthy diet. Her attire consists of a black kimono with a red ribbon wrapped around her waist. Embedded on the kimono in red were branch shaped designs, with flowers being attached on the ends of the branches. Her eyes coincidentally matched the color of the designs on her shirt, bearing a scarlet red color that burned like fire in certain lighting. A pair of open toe sandals was worn on her feet-paws, with enough room to let her toes wiggle if she chose to.

The vixen grabs her keys to the entrance of the Kawasabus Shrine Inn and began walking away from the lobby's receptionist desk, with closing hours having come to the hotel. She grabs a hold of the knob of the door and was about to place the key into the lock… that is until she saw a vulpine figure approaching the Inn carrying someone with him in his arms. At first she was unsure of who it was, but once the male got close enough within light's view, she immediately recognized it was Matt Wilde and opens the door for him.

“Mr. Wilde, I was expecting you to return earlier this evening. What happened?” The vixen asked, but suddenly gasped upon seeing both the female rabbit he was holding in his arms along with the bleeding scar on his cheek.

“She needs shelter, Amaya”, Matt replied calmly, yet quickly before walking towards the open door, the vixen following him inside before closing the door. Although she locks the door, she keeps the key inside with the possible intention of opening it in a short bit. Matt gently picks the unconscious bunny off from his back and lays her on the sofa directly across from the receptionist's desk, resting the female gently onto her back. Amaya walks towards the two and began examining the female rabbit carefully.

“You Ishin-Mirkwood soldiers are so industrious. You kill all night and still pick up a whore”, Amaya commented before shaking her head, with Matt quickly giving the vixen an offended glare. Matt did not expect the receptionist to call Jenny a whore, and was surprisingly on the verge of growling at the vixen. However, despite not appreciating the vixen calling Jenny such a name, he shrugs calmly before placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets.

“She'll need a room”, Matt said calmly, yet bore a softly stern look on his face. The vixen, however, looks back to him momentarily before turning and walking away from him.

“I have no vacancies available, Mr Wilde. I run a respectable Inn, not a brothel”, Amaya replied calmly, yet also bore a similar tone to Matt's. “You should take her down to Mr. Tanaka's down the street”, the vixen suggested, the male fox's eyes widening slightly before clenching his fists. He knew damn well Mr. Tanaka ran a brothel right down the street from the Inn he was temporarily staying at, and lets just say the last time he was there, things between him and Mr. Tanaka weren't pleasant. He was about to speak his mind, that is until the vixen turns her head towards their direction and took a few sniffs in the air. “Wait, hold on a second! She smells too nice for that place”, she corrected quickly after noticing the rabbit's scent, white plum. “I'll go get her some dry clothes to wear and wash the one's she's wearing right now. You go wait here and I'll go get her the things she'll need”, the vixen finished before turning back towards the direction she was heading towards, leaving the male fox alone with the female rabbit.

Now that he was alone, Matt directs his attention towards the unconscious bunny and takes a seat nest to her. He waits for the vixen to return with the clothing the rabbit will need for tomorrow, long enough for the vixen to remove all traces of the ninja's blood off of them. While waiting, the fox's eyes gaze towards the bunny's body up from head to toe, admittedly smiling softly, albeit briefly, at the sight of Jenny's peaceful sleeping. Cute would've been a great word to use for this situation, but knowing that it was a derogatory term for other species to use towards rabbits, that wouldn't be the right word to use. Perhaps peaceful would be the best term to describe the situation in this case. His right hand-paw moves to the rabbit's long, brown/blonde mixed bangs and gently moves them towards her right side, allowing him to have a better look at the woman's face.

“She's so peaceful…. I wonder what my life would've been like if my mother was never killed…” Matt thought to himself, gently rubbing her forehead with the back of his right index and middle fingers. He notices her softly stirring in her sleep and moves his hand-paw away from her, a soft smile forming on his muzzle for the second time. He snaps out of his train of thought and looks towards the door leading to the back area, noticing the vixen returning with a blue and golden yellow kimono with her in possession. The fox stands up upon seeing the vixen before Amaya looks directly at him.

“Go ahead and lift her up carefully. She'll be residing in the room next to yours on the third floor”, Amaya said before the male fox places his arms under her body and gently lifts her up, his left arm resting under the rabbit's upper back and his right under her legs. The vixen began walking towards the elevator nearby and presses the button to the third floor, with the male following her with the female bunny in his arms. Quickly tapping on the third floor button, the double doors close and enables the elevator to ascend to the floor that they headed for.

They reach the third floor within a matter of seconds and step out of the elevator when the double doors had opened. Matt looks down towards Jenny and examines her body, seeing some of the ninja's blood on parts of her fur. He knew those needed to get cleaned off quickly before the stains become harder to clean off, even with high quality body wash products. Nevertheless, he knew for certain the vixen would be able to clean her off if needed. Speaking of which, the vixen grabs a key card for the hotel room and slides the card into the slot, a loud 'click' noise going off to let the key holder know the door's unlocked. The vixen opens the door and walks into the room, with Matt following behind and shutting the door behind him once he entered. Amaya turns her head towards the fox and before moving her head towards herself, gesturing for him to follow her into the bathroom.

“Bring her into the restroom for me, will you?” Amaya asked calmly. “I'll take care of cleaning her up while you wait in the living room”, she added before facing the bathroom and walks towards it, opening the sliding door to the right and walking inside. Matt follows shortly after and enters the bathroom, gently placing the bunny next to the vixen as she was getting prepared to clean the rabbit off. The fox grabs Jenny's umbrella and removes it from the pants loop, placing it next to the vixen making preparations for the bath.

“Would you mind cleaning this off as well?” Matt asked, the vixen giving him a nod in response. Mildly hot water began pouring in the tub as the vixen grabs a few rags to use to help clean the blood off the unconscious bunny, with Matt taking his leave and walking towards the bathroom door. But before leaving, he notices a large trashcan nearby and grabs his broken umbrella from the cargo loop on his pants, placing it inside the trash can and closing the lid to it. Now it was time for him to wait outside, doing so by waling out of the bathroom and taking a seat at the sofa roughly fifteen feet away from the bathroom entrance.

The minutes began to pass by as if they were only seconds, with the fox getting onto his smartphone and taking a look at any of the text messages he might've received. Fortunately, he received nothing from any members of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members. However, he did notice a couple text messages he had gotten from his aunt, Tomoe, his late mother's younger sister, having received them sometime during his battle against the ninja assassin that tried to kill him. He quickly replied to the text messages and reassuring he was doing alright. His ears suddenly flicker to the sound of a sliding door on the right side of the hotel room, turning his attention towards the female leaving the bathroom, with the bunny's bloodstained clothing gripped onto her right hand-paw, her left holding the unconscious bunny by her waist.

“She has been cleaned and properly dressed”, Amaya said to the fox before he began looking over the bunny, who not only was clean of any blood on her, but was now dressed in the black and blue kimono the vixen had provided.

“Thank you for letting her stay here. I will repay you”, Matt replied with a calm, thankful nod and a similar tone of voice. However, the vixen starts walking towards the male and hands him Jenny's phone case along with another solid object of sort. However, he could hardly tell what it was thanks to her clothes covering her.

“I know, Matt”, Amaya replied before handing him the phone case and a… another small, but longer case? “These are hers, but you might wanna hide this”, she suggested, the male fox taking both her phone case and the longer case while she continues to hold the bunny's blood stained clothing.

Matt sets the phone case on the coffee table next to the sofa and examines the other black colored case, which seems to be bearing a handle on it. But the fox knew what it was once he spotted the handle, grabbing the handle and pulling it out to reveal a heft-less dagger of sort. And holy hell that thing was long, which the blade portion of the weapon was as long as his forearm. Speaking of the blade, there wasn't even a damn scratch on the thing, looking as if it were brand new or well taken care of. Now one question began to cross his mind….

“Jesus Christ… how the hell was a bunny like her able to hide something like this”, Matt asked with genuine surprise, moving the blade upward and examining it closely, even placing it next to the opposite forearm. “Especially if the blade's as long as my forearm”, he added, twisting the dagger a bit before placing the weapon back into its case, no, its sheath.

“I found the dagger case attached to her back underneath her shirt. Its rather ingenious if you think about it”, Amaya answered, taking the rabbit into the bedroom adjacent to the wall where the bathroom was. The fox gathers the rabbit's phone and follows the vixen inside, seeing her placing the bunny on the queen sized bed. He walks to the dresser next to the bed and places both her phone case and dagger case on the surface, although hid the dagger case underneath a matching colored alarm clock. “Alright, I think this will do for the time being”, he commented after hiding the blade before turning to face the vixen next to him, seeing her placing the rabbit in bed and tucking her in.

“I'm gonna hit the hay for tonight. I'll talk to you in the morning”, the fox said before walking towards the bedroom exit and grabbing the door. He takes one last look at the bunny for a moment before walking out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him and letting the vixen finish her work. But one thing he was certain about tomorrow was the possibility of him having to explain everything to the bunny he had just met, and hopefully the fox could give the bunny the right answer if it were possible.


	7. A Traitor Amongst Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Slight tweaks have been made to this chapter.

_ **A Traitor amongst Us** _

  


_Silence. Nothing but silence accompanies the Kawasabus Shopping District. The only noise that can be heard was the repetitive pitter-platter of the heavy rain hitting the concrete ground outside, and the fain footsteps of someone walking amongst the rainy night. A lone female rabbit walks along the dark alleyway heading towards an unknown destination. The rain was as clear as water, yet can be seen visibly from the fast paced droppings. Then all of the sudden, crimson red colored rain drops start splattering across the area, some of which manage to hit the rabbit unexpectedly._

_While mysterious at first, the cause of the bleeding rain was as evident as a thief stealing candy from a baby. In front of her was a male fox bearing reddish-orange and cream fur on his body, a bloody blade being carried in his_ right hand-paw. His eyes she could not see, but what she was able to see was a bleeding scar on the left side of his cheek. But that wasn't the only thing she saw, however, for the bunny also notices a body of a tiger having been literally severed in half. Yet her eyes would move away from the corpse as soon as she notices the male's head raising upward, a glimpse of his eyes preparing to gaze towards her with unexpected surprise.

With a sudden gasp, Jenny quickly jolts her body upward and began panting softly for a moment, taking in a moment to think about everything that's happened. But she was no longer outside, nor could she hear the sound of rain pouring outside anymore. No, all she could hear was pure, utter silence. Her eyes began to examine the environment she was in, obviously noticing she wasn't even in her home. The room she was in bore themes similar to Japanese housing, especially upon seeing the sliding shoji doors that leads to the room she resides in. How the hell did she end up here? More importantly, why does she feel a lot more clothed? The second question was answered when she looks down to herself, discovering she was now dressed in a black and blue colored Japanese kimono. Her eyes widen upon seeing this before looking around anxiously, still wondering how she even got here in the first place.She manages to spot both her phone case and the handle of the dagger case she brought with her yesterday as a precaution prior to working with the Hopps. She was about to turn her smartphone on to call them before the room suddenly got brighter, shielding her eyes from the sudden intrusion of light. But holy hell was the sudden intrusion of light giving her a hell of a migraine. And the cause of it was completely obvious to her.

The intrusion of light was caused by someone opening the door to her room and turning on the lights with a flick of the switch, revealing to be a female gray fox standing at her door. Jenny could guess the vixen was well within her thirties, yet had the appearance similar to that of a mammal in their early to mid twenties, probably thanks to plenty of exercise and a well managed healthy diet. Her attire consists of a black kimono with a red ribbon wrapped around her waist. Embedded on the kimono in red were branch shaped designs, with flowers being attached on the ends of the branches. Her eyes coincidentally matched the color of the designs on her shirt, bearing a scarlet red color that burned like fire in certain lighting, which in this particular case it did, and rather beautifully, too. A pair of open toe sandals was worn on her feet-paws, with enough room to let her toes wiggle if she chose to. A pair of clothes can be seen in the vixen's left hand-paw, clothes that was entirely familiar to her.

“Ah, you're awake”, the vixen spoke calmly towards the bunny, a soft smile on her muzzle as she began to approach the bed. However, the bunny suddenly starts crawling backwards on the mattress, pressing her back against the bed frame and causing the vixen to stop on her tracks. The vulpine maid raises her right hand-paw up in a reassuring manner. “You needn't worry, miss. I'm only here to drop your clothes off”, she reassured, gently placing the folded clothing onto the edge of the queen sized bed, taking a few steps back after as an attempt to help calm her down. Fortunately the bunny did enough to move forward a bit, but that didn't mean she had questions that needed to be asked.

“Who are you…?” Jenny asked, the vixen managing to catch a Newcastle based English accent in the rabbit's voice. “More importantly, where am I? And what am I doing in a kimono?” she began asking, the vixen raising her right hand-paw up and waving it up and down slowly, attempting to calm the anxious rabbit down.

“As I said moments before, you needn't worry”, the vixen reassured again before covering her mouth with her right hand-paw and clearing her throat. She moves her left hand-paw inside the right sleeve and doing the same with her right hand-paw with the left sleeve. “My name is Amaya, the vixen who runs the Kawasabus Shrine Inn, the very same hotel you're currently staying in”, Amaya, the vixen maid, began. “I dressed you in that kimono last night after cleaning you up”, she began, the rabbit cocking a curious brow towards the female fox with a suspiciously curious tone. “As for your clothes, had to remove them shortly after Matt Wilde brought you inside the Inn”.

“And why did you remove them while I was unconscious?” Jenny asked uncomfortably. “And you didn't do anything inappropriate while I was out, did you?” the bunny asked again, the vixen's hand-paws now raised and quickly shaking her head with a cocked, embarrassed brow.

“Oh, dear god no, miss”, Amaya quickly answered, not expecting her to ask such a question. The bunny closes her eyes and lets out a sigh of relief, leaning her body forward and placing her left hand-paw on her forehead.

“Oh thank god”, Jenny replied with a sigh of relief. But now there was another question she needs to ask, this one in particular regarding the person who brought her here. “Excuse me, Amaya. You said Matt Wilde brought me to the hotel room, yes?”

“Correct”, Amaya answered with a nod.

“Where is he now?” Jenny asked curiously. “If its possible, I want to talk to him about last night”, the bunny added, the vixen smiling softly towards the bunny and even walking closer to her, taking a seat on the edge of the bed with her fiery red eyes gazing towards her sapphire blue colored eyes.

“He's in the room next door to yours”, Amaya answered, the soft smile vanishing from her muzzle and looking at the bunny with a calm tone. “But right now, he's catching up on some sleep after having to take care of some business last night”.

“Business?” Jenny asked, gently scooting closer towards the vixen with a curious look on her face. “What kind of business?” the rabbit asked with genuine interest, wanting to know more on the business Matt was involved in. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to get an answer from the vixen after noticing her closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“Unfortunately, that is not for me to answer”, Amaya answered calmly, no longer shaking her head softly. “You'll have to ask him once he awakens from his slumber”, the vixen added before reopening her eyes, looking directly at the rabbit in front of her. “However, there is a question I must ask of you”.

“Ask away”, Jenny asked, albeit a but curious and slightly uncomfortable.

“I'm currently short on staff members here at the Inn, and I need another maid for a few hours. I was wondering if you would be willing to assist me for a few hours a day”, Amaya asked calmly, the rabbit's gaze shifting lower until she was looking at herself. She was still unsure on whether or not to actually help her out due to the circumstances of her stay here. However, the tone that she had asked did sound genuine to say the least. The rabbit took a moment to think about this seriously before looking up at her, now knowing the right answer for Amaya.

“Well, I'll admit I am having to work with a family at around three in the afternoon”, Jenny began, turning to face the alarm clock and noticing it saying '11:30 am' on it. “However…” the bunny paused for a moment in order to look back at the vixen's face. “I can spare two to three hours to lend a helping hand-paw”, she finished following a nod, the vixen smiling softly with a graceful look on her face.

“Thank you very much, Miss-”

“Jenny”, Jenny interrupted, though with a friendly tone of voice. “My name is Jenny”, the rabbit added, the vixen nodding in response and standing up from the bed.

“I'll see you on the first floor shortly, Jenny”, Amaya replied, turning to face the bedroom door and walking out, making her way to the hotel room itself. One thing for certain was the rabbit was a bit hung over from drinking a bit too much sake last light (with Stu having paid the bill for her drink). Nevertheless, she gets out of bed and began walking out of the bedroom, closing the bedroom door behind her as she did. Alas, another day began.

* * *

 

_**Somewhere else…** _

_Darkness fills the room to its entirety, a sleeping figure resting peacefully within the comforts of bed as the female rabbit's breathing slowly rises up and down. But the darkness of the room wouldn't last for much longer, for the sliding door opens to reveal a male fox waiting outside with his right hand-paw on the handle of the blade. The male approaches the sleeping figure and pulls the sword out of its sheath, the blade shining brightly thanks to the reflection of the lighting behind him. Yet as the figure approached the sleeping beauty, he raises his blade up high with the pointed edge of the katana pointing directly towards her throat. He thrusts the blade down towards the throat and attempts to stab right through it._

Then all of the sudden, Matt's eyes shoot wide open with his pupils being momentarily shrunken down to size in shock, yet soon return to normal size after realizing where he was. The fox began examining the environment around him and realizes he was back inside of his own room, not Jenny's next door. Letting out a soft sigh as he did, the fox steps out of bed and walks towards the bathroom, wanting to go on ahead and get himself cleaned up before doing anything else. Because right now, he was smelling of both sweat and blood, having missed the opportunity to take a shower last night. On the way, however, he grabs himself a pair of clean clothes along with a towel before entering the shower, closing the door behind himself and allowing him to shower peacefully.

Twenty minutes pass, yet felt like five to the fox, Matt steps out of the bathroom dressed in much cleaner clothes. A black tight fitting athletic shirt was worn over the torso region with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, his muscle definition being seen through the fabric of it. Black leather gloves cover the hand-paws through their entirety, with holes being seen on the knuckles of his hand-paws. Dark green cargo pants were worn over his legs, the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe high-top combat boots. His slightly long samurai katana was attached to the left side of his pants, which was secured with the use of his black leather, silver studded belt.

With the fox ready to begin his day, he grabs his phone case and attaches it to the left side of his pants, along with grabbing his chained wallet and placing it behind his pants, thus attaching the chain to the front right belt loop. Grabbing his keys right after doing this, the fox places them in his right cargo pocket and walks out of the hotel room, a clicking noise going off to signal the door's locking mechanism going off. He turns to the left and began walking towards that direction before taking a right, deciding to go down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. He makes a U-turn on the right to go down the second set of stairs to enter the first floor, but stops halfway down the steps at the sight of someone bearing light brown and white fur along with long, dark brown and blonde mixed hair. And as soon as he saw those details, he immediately recognized who it was.

He recognized the other mammal as English-born bunny, Jenny Bunni, who was now dressed in a black and blue mixed kimono. The shoes she wore were the exact same black and white Chuck Taylor's, albeit much cleaner than last night thanks to Amaya. The fox notices many flower shaped designs on the kimono, which were identical to the ones Amaya wore on her black and red kimono. But the change of clothing wasn't the only thing he noticed, however, for the fox can see the rabbit carrying four tray tables in her possession, all of them carrying freshly cooked food on them.

“Jenny, wait!” Matt exclaimed calmly, quickly rushing down the stairs right as the bunny turns to face the fox. Her eyes widen slightly upon seeing him, but soon relax a second later. “Are you… are you feeling alright?” he asked curiously after recalling her passing out last night. The bunny's ears fold back upon hearing him before looking down for a moment, a faint blush forming on her face regarding her condition last night. However, she looks back up and nods towards the fox, her ears moving up a bit as she nodded.

“Yeah, I'm alright…”, Jenny answered softly, a slightly embarrassed look forming on her face. “Um… I wanted to apologize about last night as well”, the rabbit apologized, making the fox look towards her with a curious look on his face.

“For what?” Matt asked, cocking a slight, but curious brow towards the bunny at the . He was curious on why she was apologizing to him, since she hasn't done anything wrong towards him.

“I… had a little too much sake to drink last night while I was hanging out with Judy and her dad”, Jenny began, looking down to the right side for a moment before looking back up to him. “But I know you helped me by providing me shelter at this place…” she finished before turning around and walking away from the fox.

“She was drunk…?” Matt wondered to himself before looking down a bit, his right hand-paw beginning to stroke his own chin in thought. But with a loud clicking sound caused by the dishes being placed on a nearby table, he snaps back into attention and notices the rabbit approaching him.

“Look, Matt… I don't mean to bother you or anything, but there's been something I was wanting to ask you about last night”, Jenny said softly before using her right hand-paw to rub the back of her head with. Matt's eyes slightly widen momentarily upon hearing this. What question was she about to ask him? And if its about the ninja he killed, how was he gonna answer that? Either way, he was about to find out within a matter of seconds.

“Last night, I remember you causing the rain to bleed with your sword”, Jenny began, the fox's eyes slightly widening upon hearing this. His heart was beginning to pound slightly harder, yet continues to keep his composure as best he can. “Did… did you kill someone last night?” she asked, the vulpine's eyes widening softly, yet sharply at her question. He needed to figure out the best way to answer while trying not to scare her off or anything. And honestly, he didn't know what to say regarding the matter. But closing his eyes and letting a soft sigh escape his muzzle as he did, he knew of one way he can answer. The fox reopens his eyes and places a soft, reassuring hand-paw onto her left shoulder.

“Jenny, about last night…” Matt began with a soft tone, pausing momentarily and turning his sight towards his left, yet manages to turn his attention back to her a second later. “I… I won't deny the fact that I have killed someone”, he continued with the same tone, watching her eyes widen upon hearing this. He places his other hand-paw onto the rabbit's other shoulder, bearing the same reassuring tone like before. “I may not have the right way to explained what happened at this moment… but if you're willing to trust me, I promise I will answer everything when the time comes”, with those words said, the fox finishes with his green eyes gazing towards her sapphire blue ones. In all honestly, the rabbit was a bit frightened by what he had said, having admitted killing someone. But knowing that his promise was genuine, she calms down a bit and nods.

“Alright, I trust you”, Jenny replied, much to the fox's relief. No doubt he would have to explain everything to her in due time, but he intends to keep his promise to the rabbit. Hell, he even pulls her into a soft hug, much to the female's surprise. The fox's eyes widen a bit before quickly letting go, rubbing the back of his head almost nervously.

“Eh… sorry”, Matt apologized, a soft blush forming on his face. But thanks to his fur colors, it was hard to tell.

“Don't worry about it, Matt”, Jenny replied with an identical tone of voice, turning back to where she placed the freshly cooked food trays and grabs them, carefully walking towards the entrance of the dining area before stopping. She turns back at him before softly smiling towards the fox. “See you later”, she said before walking into the dining area to serve the food. Now it was time for Matt to come up with a proper, honest answer for the rabbit. Fortunately he didn't have to think about it too much since he wanted to take the time to think about it. With a soft sigh, he leaves the hotel lobby through the exit and goes about his business for a little while, wanting to clear his mind regarding last night and hoping he can get a start on finding the right answer to tell her about it.

* * *

 

_**Kawasabus Inn Dining area, an hour later** _

The sounds of dishes clicking against one another, and the muffed sounds of mammals eating fills the dining area during lunch hour. Two maids were working inside to serve Japanese food to the customers, whether the customers were the biggest of predators to the smallest of prey. Regardless of the size differences between the customers, they all bore a couple things in common. One of the similarities they had were dressed in kimono shirts and hakama pants, with black or brown leather gloves coveting their hand-paws through their entirety. The second thing all customers bore in common were samurai edition katanas of various sizes, all to match the sizes of the mammals proportionately.

The dining room bore two rows of tables inside the long room, all lined up on the left and right sides of the linear dining space. As big as the dining area was, it was only big enough to serve roughly twenty-four large predators at a time if spacing is done properly. Even that seems to be the case right now despite the customers ranging in size, since most of the hotel customers were either at work, taking care of 'assignments', or were sleeping after a night of partying.

The two maids inside were identified as Amaya, dressed in a black and red kimono, and Jenny Bunni dressed in a black and blue kimono. Amaya took care of the customers on the left side of the room while Jenny took care of the customers on the right side. Both of them were carrying freshly streamed brown and white rice to serve the customers, along with freshly cooked noodles and various grilled meat products. Speaking of food, an orange and white furred Siberian tiger raises his black bowl towards the rabbit with his left hand-paw, a soft grin apparent on his face.

“More, please”, the tiger spoke, his teal-green eyes looking directly at the English bunny before him.

“Of course”, Jenny replied, grabbing the empty bowl with both her hand-paws, since the bowl itself was surprisingly huge to accommodate the tiger's size. Setting it down after grabbing it, the bunny began to scoop some grilled chicken from the container with a dome shaped scooper before pouring it inside of the bowl. Handing it back to the predator as she did, the tiger grabs the bowl and began to eat his meal with a pair of chopsticks in hand.

“So, are you the new girl here?” the tiger asked politely despite having food in his mouth, making the bunny cringe slightly from hearing him taking with food in his mouth.

“Just until the end of lunch, sir”, Jenny answered before another male on the tiger's right, a Thompson's Gazelle, turns to face the rabbit.

“It is a wonder pleasure to meet your acquaintance, ma'am”, the gazelle said, a slight southern accent apparent in his voice. While the male had spoken, however, the rabbit manages to fill another bowl for another predator, a brown and white fox on the tiger's left

“Likewise, sir”, Jenny replied before handing the brown fox a bowl of rice for him. Close to the end of the table on the left side of the room, Matt was looking directly at the rabbit that was serving the other men with a calm look on his face. He grabs another piece of his chicken teriyaki with his chop sticks, twirling them around the thick noodles that were mixed in with his order. Pulling the chopsticks up to his mouth, Iizuka enters the dining room and takes a seat at the last table next to the seventeen year old fox.

“Well, the attendants told me you brought her home with you last night”, Iizuka began, the fox focusing on his own food by turning forward, closing his eyes and taking a bite of the portion of food he had on his chop sticks silently. “I'd like to know where you found a girl like that. Pretty for a street tramp”, the tanuki commented with a soft grin on his face, his attention turning towards the vulpine next to his right. The fox momentarily stopped what he was doing for a moment upon hearing that, his eyes opening almost widely at the comment. How could someone call an innocent woman a street tramp inside the dining area? But for a moment, he could've sworn he saw the rabbit cringe at the tanuki's comment, or was he imagining things? “And not diseased. How did she taste?” he asked, with Matt placing the bowl of chicken teriyaki with noodles back onto the small tray table and grabbing a hold of his sword on his left. “Why don't you tell me?” he asked, grabbing a cherry that was apparently on the plate and placing it inside his mouth, chewing it before swallowing the small fruit. He cocks a curious, dirty brow towards the fox as the topic regarding the rabbit grew dirtier. “Was she good? Give me the details”, and with those last words, the fox has had enough. Grabbing the sheath of his sword and lifting it up, the male growls softly and suddenly hits the floor with the bottom of the sheath, the noise being loud enough to startle everyone, including Jenny. Everyone turns towards the fox with surprised looks on their faces, yet Iizuka's expression bore more of a mix between surprise and anger. Jenny watches the fox quickly stand up and place his sword on the left side of his body, even noticing him walking towards the second exit at the back right of the room.

“I've never seen Matt that mad before…” Jenny thought following a soft sigh, not wanting to get involved in the situation, nor did she wanna confront the tanuki who said those inappropriate things about her. “I just hope he's alright”, she added in her mind before getting back to work, not wanting to get involved with the conversation they were having. She definitely didn't like the dirty talk the tanuki was saying about her, and she would've been more than glad to give him a piece of her mind if there wasn't a sword right next to him.

“Don't scare me like that!” Iizuka yelled with an angered tone. “Why the hell do you have to take things so seriously?!” he growled, making the bunny cringe towards the predatory sound and close her eyes. She didn't know how much longer she can deal with the rowdy tanuki, nor did she know if she wanted to stick around the same room as him. She looks back towards the other customers and looks to see if anyone else wanted another serving, which fortunately for her, none of them did. She was beginning to breathe almost rapidly now, and now thanks to the atmosphere, she no longer felt comfortable in the dining area. Fortunately, however, Amaya walks towards the bunny and places her hand-paws on her shoulders, only for the bunny to stand up and turn to face the vixen.

“I need some air”, Jenny said softly towards the vixen before quickly walking out of the dining room, not wanting to be in the same room as Iizuka anymore. Amaya reached for the bunny, but to no avail. She needed her to work in here for a bit longer, yet understood the reason why she left. The vixen shrugs and resumes her work in the dining area, serving the hungry customers inside with the food she and the bunny had provided for them.

* * *

 

_**Matt's hotel room, roughly fifteen minutes later** _

Ever since the fox had left the dining area, he had entered his hotel suite as an attempt to calm himself down. Usually when the examiner of executions said stuff like that, he didn't mind since it was his business. But when he said it regarding Jenny, despite barely knowing the rabbit, he felt outright furious! He had no right to speak of such things about the rabbit like that, someone who could potentially become a friend of his.

Now he was standing at the balcony outside looking over the afternoon horizon, watching the people below passing by along the streets like the common townsfolk they were. His forearms rest comfortably on the wooden balcony railing in a crossing position, his head resting on top of them in a similar fashion. His ears flicker to the opening of his hotel suite, making the male quick turn to face the direction. He honestly did not wanna deal with Iizuka right now, or else he would end up doing some unspeakable acts against him. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, for it was Jenny who had opened the sliding door leading to his suit. He manages to calm down enough to approach the partially open door and gaze towards the rabbit's eyes.

“Mind if I come in, Matt?” Jenny asked, the fox turning his gaze away from her momentarily before looking back at her again, nodding and opening the door open for the woman. She enters the room and takes a look around, approaching the sofa and taking a seat on the fox sized cushion. The fox walks towards the lounging part of the suite and takes a seat next to her, deciding it was time to talk with her, but the topic wouldn't be about what happened last night.

“Jenny, listen to me…” Matt began, his face looking directly towards the TV screen in front of him, the TV being turned off and allowing him to see a faint reflection of the two on the couch.

“I'm listening”, Jenny replied, making the fox turn his head towards her with a calm look on his face.

“You should leave here, Jenny. You risk your honor being around the other male mammals”, Matt claimed with a similar, yet worried tone, not wanting a potential friend of his to become a sex object to the perverted members of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan or any of the other males residing in the place. “Don't you have family back at your place?” he asked. And right as he asked that, the bunny closes her eyes and shakes her head.

“Not anymore”, Jenny answered with a soft tone, a sigh escaping her mouth before the fox's eyes widen a tad bit with surprise. “My parents were murdered during a drive by shooting while I was in the eighth grade, roughly five months after we moved from England to the east coast”, she explained. Now that he didn't expect to hear, especially with her parents having been murdered during a drive by shooting. He was honestly curious on what happened that day, but decided not to press on the matter in order to avoid opening old wounds. He turns his head away from her and closes his eyes, letting a sigh escape his muzzle.

“Sorry…” Matt apologized and reopens his eyes partially, looking directly at the coffee table.

“Has your wound healed?” Jenny asked, snapping the fox out of his trance and causing him to focus his attention towards the rabbit next to him.

“Yeah, I guess so”, Matt answered before moving his left hand-paw over the scar on his left, his fingers tracing over the linear wound momentarily before moving his left hand-paw to his lap. He examines the rabbit's body before noticing the handle of her dagger behind her back. “Let me see your weapon”, the fox said calmly, surprising the rabbit at the mention of the weapon she carried on her back. But nonetheless, she nods and reaches for the weapon behind her back.

“Sure”, Jenny replied, grabbing the sheathed dagger from behind her back and handing it to the fox. Matt unbuttons the sheath of the blade and grabs the hilt of the weapon, pulling the dagger out of sheath and examining the blade closely. He raises the blade up and turns the weapon left and right carefully, the sunlight reflecting from the silver surface quite a bit.

“After Amaya showed me this, I was genuinely surprised you were carrying a dagger bearing a blade as long as my forearm”, Matt admitted, placing the weapon back in its sheath before handing it back to the rabbit. He watches her taking the sheathed weapon with her right hand-paw and placing it behind her back, the square padding being used as a cover to conceal the weapon easily. “It's also wise to carry protection on you when walking the streets of Kawasabus”, he began, only to pause for a short moment to let out a calm sigh. “But you should be living in a place where you wouldn't need to be carrying weapons like this”, the fox finished, raising his arms upward and giving them a good stretch before leaning back against the couch.

“You mean a place free of assassins, Matt?” Jenny asked, the fox turning his head towards her a bit and cocks a curious brow towards the female.

“Huh?” Matt asked, wondering where that question came from at first. But after taking a moment to think about it, he nods at the rabbit with understanding. “Yeah, pretty much”, he added, watching the rabbit stand up from the couch and nod towards the fox.

“I understand”, Jenny replied softly before turning towards the front door, walking towards the sliding door and grabbing a hold of the handle. She opens it and proceeds to exit, but turns around and faces the fox. “Talk to you soon, Matt”, she said before closing the door behind her, leaving the fox to himself and his thoughts. But about a couple minutes later, he too would get off the couch and head out of his hotel room, grabbing his keys on the way out and locking the door behind him. He was needing to talk to Amaya regarding last night, and ask a few questions for himself.

* * *

 

_**Inside the employee's lounging area, several minutes later** _

“She's a good worker, Matt”, Amaya spoke towards the fox, her eyes set upon the vulpine assassin in front of her while she was drying off one of the bowls they were recently . Moments ago, the fox had come into the employee's lounge to speak with the head maid and owner of the Kawasabus Shrine Inn, since he had told her he needed to speak with the vixen herself. And the topic it regarded was about Jenny, especially after he had brought her in last night.

“Yes, there's no doubt about that, Ma'am. But how long?” Matt asked in regards to how long the vixen was allowing the rabbit to stay at the Inn.

“As long as she likes, Mr. Wilde. After all, you were the one who begged me to take her in, remember?” Amaya asked with a calm, as-a-matter-of-fact tone in her voice before turning her eyes towards the dish she was drying off.

“I know, but just for the night”, Matt replied, a slight frown on his face, but remained calm nonetheless.

“You Ishin-Mirkwood mammals are excellent customers, but you keep my girls busy. Do you know how hard it is to feed twenty hungry and lecherous men?” Amaya began. “She works hard and her beauty intimidates the reprobates. Perhaps she's made mistakes in the past, but that is none of my concern. If I gave everyone the boot out of here, I wouldn't have any employees or clients”, the vixen finished, placing the clean dish down on top of another similar clean dish before grabbing another identical bowl. The male fox places his gloved hand-paws inside of his pockets before letting out a soft shrug, his ears flickering to the sound of footsteps approaching the employee's lounging area. And soon enough, Iizuka arrives to the employees lounge and manages to find the person he was looking for.

“There you are, Matt”, Iizuka greeted. Although the fox wasn't really fond of his presence at the moment, he was still curious on what he had to say.

“What's up?” Matt replied, a slight frown on his face despite the calm tone he bore.

“Katagai and Thrandeer returned”, Iizuka answered before turning to the hallway on the left and walking towards the path leading to the outdoor courtyard. As reluctant as the fox was with being around the tanuki, Matt follows Iizuka to go meet with the others at the courtyard outside.

“Just like a man who misunderstands his feelings…” Amaya commented to herself as she continues to dry off the wet dishes with the rag in hand.

The tanuki and fox continue to walk along the wooden floors of the Inn, leading to the outdoor hallway where the courtyard was located. And standing outside were none other than Katagai along with Thrandeer, both of which were in their usual attire. The tanuki and fox meet with the deer and bear up ahead and began to follow them along the outdoor hallway, the courtyard just at their right. Yet as they continue to walk along the path, the four males notice a female bunny walking towards the opposite direction where they were going, the rabbit happening to be carrying a couple packages of freshly cooked food. Thrandeer and Katagai didn't know who the person was, Iizuka barely did, yet Matt knew her the most, since he happens to be attending to the same high school as her. The four stop moments later with the bear and buck turning towards Iizuka and Matt's direction.

“Who is that woman?” Thrandeer ask, the four men turning towards Jenny as they watch her taking a left along the wooden floored pathway.

“The men whisper of a new girl”, Katagai replied, the men watching her knocking on one of the hotel room sliding doors gently and waiting for the room occupant to answer the door.

“That's the whore”, Iizuka answered the buck, the comment causing the fox's eyes to widen with unexpected surprise before turning towards the tanuki with an angry, narrow set of eyes, fists clenching tightly almost immediately after the comment was made.

“She is **not!** ” Matt growled, his tone bearing an unexpected fierceness to it. Thrandeer remains calm about this as Katagai and Iizuka turn towards Matt, unaware that a pair of rabbit ears have managed to catch in on the conversation.

“Has she been alone with any of them yet?” Thrandeer asked, the anger flooding in Matt's body evaporating from his body as unexpected surprise replaces the anger. The fox's eyes quickly turns to face the leader with a strongly surprised look on his face. Out of all mammals to make such comments, the fox did **NOT** expect for Thrandeer to ask such a question.

“Thrandeer!” Matt exclaimed with a surprised, almost embarrassed tone in his voice. The leader of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan merely chuckles at the fox before turning his sights towards the fox before him.

“Don't be so sensitive, Matt”, Thrandeer replied with a slight chuckle in his voice. But despite the surprised look the buck saw on the fox's face (which to him as admittedly a bit humorous), he turns towards Iizuka with a calmly serious look on his face. “Iizuka, find out what you can about her. Just be on the safe side”, he ordered, the tanuki giving the chief a soft nod in response to the given order.

“Done”, Iizuka responded to the order.

“Matt!” Katagai exclaimed calmly, yet with a stern tone mixed into it.

“Yes, sir?” Matt asked calmly, but bore a curious expression on his face.

“The woman isn't the only thing the men are talking about. Did you kill a mammal last night?” Katagai asked, the fox closing his eyes softly and letting a sigh escape his muzzle. Thrandeer turns towards his right and began walking towards the courtyard, stepping onto the grassy, earthly soils as he did.

“Just as we planned”, Matt answered before reopening his eyes and looking up at the heavily built bear.

“You know what I'm referring to”, Katagai said, his voice becoming more stern with each passing second, a soft gasp escaping his muzzle. He was about to answer until Iizuka steps forward slightly, yet was enough to grab the bear's attention.

“The fox ran into trouble on the way home”, Iizuka began, the fox's head turning towards the direction where Iizuka stood. “I offered to buy him a drink. He should think twice about walking alone”, the tanuki finished right as the clan leader grabs a hold of an umbrella that was on a nearby wooden table, using it to shield himself from the afternoon sunlight.

“Where was he from, the Mibu or Orimaku clans?” Thrandeer asked right as the tanuki began walking towards the direction where Jenny had went..

“No, he was too crude for those wolves”, Matt answered.

“Neo-Shinsengumi?” Katagai asked.

“No, I've never been up against any mammal as evil as he”, Matt began. “It was-”

“An Orimakishu Ninja”, Thrandeer interrupted, closing the umbrella with his right hand-paw as Matt turns towards his direction.

“Yes”, Matt answered, coincidentally at the moment the tanuki stops on his tracks.

“We have kept your secret and no one knows of your identity”, Katagai claimed. “Who would know to eliminate you?” the bear asked, a small frown forming on the fox's face.

“A traitor, one of our own”, Matt replied.

“I think you're right”, Thrandeer said in agreement right as Iizuka turns his head slightly to the left towards them. Both Matt and Katagai soon turn towards the leader with calm frowns on their faces. “You all have enough to worry about right now. So allow me to investigate the existence of this possible traitor”.

“Yes, Sir!” Matt, Katagai, and Iizuka replied simultaneously before the buck turns to face the fox, handing him the closed umbrella by pointing the handle towards him.

“Matt”, Thrandeer said.

“Yes, sir?” Matt replied almost quickly.

“Autumn is nearing its prime”, Thrandeer began.

“What?” Matt questioned with a curious tone, the deer turning towards the autumn leaves on one of the oak trees nearby.

“The leaves on the oak trees are shifting in color and falling from the branches rapid as the cooling weather. It won't be long before the winds of winter reach this town”, Thrandeer explained, with Matt and Katagai turning to face the autumn leaves on the trees. Unaware to them, Jenny had been listening into their conversation while she had been working as a maid. However, she now had to take care of business with the Hopps Family Farm booth in the shopping district. She leaves the courtyard where the four males were at without uttering a word, going out through her business as if she were never there.

* * *

 

_**Later that night** _

The shopping district had been very eventful throughout the day, with many farmers and businessman trying to sell their goods at the local booths. Random assassins and members of the Neo-Shinsengumi occasionally pass through the districts when goods were needing to be bought, from necessities like food and clothes to wants like weapons. But when nightfall had come, everybody began closing shop and began to party all night or to settle down for the night. Two of the people choosing to settle down for the night were Jenny Bunni and Matt Wilde.

Jenny had checked out of the hotel earlier and attempted to pay for her room, but Amaya declined to take her money by telling her it was on the house. Though no longer staying at the hotel, she did leave with the promise to lend a helping hand over the weekends. Now she was currently at home studying for her high school classes, reading the textbooks carefully and jotting down notes when she needed be. Her attire consists of a navy blue tank top along with a pair of black, tight fitting nylon workout short shorts with white stripes on the sides of her hips. Her tank top was of a slim fit, which her DD-cup breasts became a lot more noticeable because of the tight fitting fabric. After studying for a bit, she looks out the window of her second floor bedroom, examining the stars and the white glow of the harvest moon.

Matt was still at the Kawasabus Shrine Inn with the rest of his clan members, yet like Jenny chose to settle down instead of partying like many of the others have. He was currently lying on his bed with only a lamp illuminating the entire bedroom suite, currently usinghis ICarrot 3G phone to come in contact with his aunt, Tomoe. Dressed in a black tank top and a pair of dark gray pajama pants, he began pounding on the touchscreen keys with the use of his thumbs. When the message he wanted to type was written, he presses the send button to send the message to his aunt letting her know about how he was doing. A yawn escapes his muzzle shortly after sending a text message to his aunt and the need for sleep becomes more apparent with each passing second. Placing the phone on the dresser to his right, along with hooking in the charger for his phone, he stretches his arms and legs before grabbing the covers to his bed. With the covers in hand, he places the blanket over his body and shuts his eyes, thus allowing the pleasantries and necessity of sleep to overtake his body within a matter of seconds.

* * *

 

_**The outdoor Kawasabus Shrine Inn Bar, Wednesday afternoon** _

Rain was pouring hard at the shopping district in Kawasabus, many people seeking shelter within many of the buildings or practically anything with a roof. Fortunately, one such place happened to be the outdoor bar located at the Kawasabus Shrine Inn, some of the people going under the roof to help keep dry and even get themselves a drink or two. But despite the heavy rain outside, not many chose to remain at the outdoor lounging area of the bar, even if it had a roof over it. But for the few who did benefited from it greatly.

A few of the mammals who were outside were none other than Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader, Thrandeer; the examiner of executions, Iizuka; and the clan's secretary, Katagai. They were all dressed in their usual attire, with the exception of them wearing a large, bowl shaped Japanese straw hats to help keep the rain off their heads. Iizuka was sitting on one side of the booth while Katagai and Thrandeer were siting in the other. Two bottles of sake were placed at the middle of the table, with three small, bowl shaped cups placed in front of the three male mammals. As comfortable as the meeting was, they were there only for the sake of clan business matters.

“What have you learned?” Thrandeer asked the tanuki with a calm tone of voice.

“Her accent and her mannerisms prove she's obviously not from Kawasabus, nor from the country itself”, Iizuka began. “She writes beautifully and indicates a certain grace, so despite still being a high school student, she's clearly well educated”, he continued. “I'm assuming she's from a wealthy family from Newcastle, England, perhaps. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to come across any records of her. Her family name didn't appear in any registries”, the tanuki explained further before pausing for a moment to take a small sip of sake from the bowl shaped glass, only to place it back on the table once he finished to continue speaking. “Finally I sniffed around the whorehouses in town. Nobody was familiar with her face or her scent, white plum”, the tanuki finished, with Katagai turning his head towards Iizuka right across from him.

“She could have changed her name, an alias perhaps”, Katagai suggested. And as interesting as that sounded, the tanuki shakes his head upon hearing this.

“No, I'd come across that already if that was the case. At this point, its highly unlikely”, Iizuka answered while grabbing a hold of one of the bottles of sake and pouring some of the alcoholic beverage inside the bowl shaped cup. “My guess is she might've ran away from home as a teenager at some point in her life and her parents were too busy to find her”, he suggested theoretically before pulling the cup to his muzzle and taking a drink of the beverage, setting it back onto the table right afterward. “Either that or her parents were killed at some point in her life”, he claimed before leaning back against the booth, the clan leader taking a drink of his beverage before looking at the tanuki.

“I see…” Thrandeer replied. “Did you learn anything else?” the clan leader asked calmly, the tanuki shaking his head before standing up.

“I'll let you know once I learn more”, Iizuka replied with a similar tone of voice. Thrandeer stands up along with Katagai and step out of the booth, the bear grabbing his wallet and leaving a tip on the table. Iizuka takes care of the bill by paying up front before heading out of the bar. As for the leader and the secretary, the two males continue about their business like the rest of the common folk, almost as if the conversation they've had never occurred.

* * *

 

_**At the Inn Penthouse, Thursday morning** _

Peaceful tranquility of music can be heard inside the Penthouse, the source of the music coming from the flute a female kitsune was playing for Thrandeer. While the female kitsune was playing some music with her flute, Thrandeer was reading a letter he had received from the mail. The letter had come from his close friend, Takasugi, the leader of the Neo-kiheitai army, with the letter giving updates regarding the Ishin-Mirkwood clan. And according to the letter, it didn't seem the updates would be any good whatsoever….

_Be careful, Thrandeer_

_Your hometown is rumbling with rumors and conjectures if our Ishin-Mirkwood clan. The old politicians are too frightened to support you against the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate. Miyabe's group bears particular observation. No one can be trusted. Stay strong, but keep your promise._

Once he had finished reading the letter, the clan leader folds the piece of paper back up before placing it on the coffee table a couple feet away from his coffee. A small sigh escapes his muzzle before placing his right hand-paw under his chin, his index finger rubbing the left side of his jaw while the thumb rests on the right.

“I cannot believe its been over three years since I've made that promise to Takasugi”, Thrandeer thought within his mind, remembering the promise he had made with Takasugi sometime after acquiring Matt Wilde into their clan. “I still remember it as if it were yesterday…”

* * *

 

_**Inside the Ishin-Mirkwood Clan Head Quarters, September 10 th, 2006** _

_The promise Thrandeer had made to Takasugi took place near summer's end three years ago, which was made inside the clan's headquarters at the western edge of Kawasabus. Taking place at night after another successful kill streak, Takasugi was taking a seat against the wall next to his shamisen while Thrandeer was sitting on the couch enjoying some sake. Thrandeer himself was dressed in a black tight fitting short sleeved shirt, dark gray hakama pants, and a pair of dark gray socks. As for Takasugi himself, the Shiba Inu wore a white sleeveless kimono shirt along with a pair of hakama pants of the same color. The black cloth belt he wore on his waist was used to help keep his shirt tucked in and secured, much the same with keeping his pants on as well. After a small moment of silence, the Shiba Inu turns towards the deer while noticing him grabbing the bottle and pouring himself a small portion of sake into the bowl shaped cup._

“ _Does he please you?” Takasugi asked calmly with a soft grin on his face._

“ _He's perfect”, Thrandeer answered before raising his cup of sake towards his muzzle and taking a drink of it. He sets the cup down and turns to face the Shiba Inu nearby. “With Matt managing to kill twenty three-people within less than two months, I have to say he's killed more than what the other Ishin-Mirkwood clan would within six months”, he claimed following a slight chuckle escaping Takasugi's muzzle._

“ _He's special, but as much as I can use him in the Neo-kiheitai, I will give him to you”, Takasugi began before grabbing a hold of a shamisen pick from his lap and tilting his head towards the object. “On one condition”._

“ _Which is?” Thrandeer asked._

“ _Let the kit absorb the horror of our struggle. Keep yourself clear of the disturbance”, Takasugi started. “Give me your word that, unless absolutely necessary, you will never again draw your sword”, he finished. Now Thrandeer didn't expect him to give such a condition in order to keep Matt as his assassin. However, it was a price he had to pay in order for him to having Matt continue working under him, and it was worth it. Placing the cup onto the coffee table as he did, the deer grabs his sheathed sword and gazes directly at the Shiba._

“ _I work everyday for the restoration of our countrymen. From now on, except when absolutely necessary, I do so without a weapon”, with those words, Thrandeer walks towards his bedroom located at the wall opposite to where Takasugi was leaning against._

“ _Promise me”, Takasugi replied, the deer stopping on his tracks and turning his head towards the left, looking back at his friend while opening the sliding door leading to his room._

“ _You have my word, Takasugi. Thrandeer Katzuma's sword fighting days are over, unless a time comes when it is absolutely necessary for me to draw my sword”, Thrandeer promised reassuringly._

“ _Just focus on leading the Ishin-Mirkwood clan through the final days of Kawasabus' tyranny. I'll take care of the rest”, Takasugi replied._

“ _Thank you”, Thrandeer replied, nodding towards the Shiba before entering his room, closing the sliding door behind himself with the intent to get some sleep. The canine grabs a hold of his shamisen instrument and places the body of it comfortably on his lap. With the pick in his right hand, and the neck of the instrument on his left, the Shiba uses the shamisen pick to pluck the strings and his left set of fingers to hit the notes._

_As the Shiba began playing music through his shamisen guitar, Matt Wilde was laying down on his bed with his left hand-paw placed behind the back of his pillow. The articles of clothing he wore consisted of a dark green T-shirt, black fingerless gloves, and camouflage cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into the black open toe boots. In the grip of his right hand-paw was a photo of his family that had been taken in the summer of 2000. His parents were located in the back row; his older brothers, Nick and Terrance, in the second row in front of the parents; his sisters, Melissa and Tauriel in the third row in front of Nick and Terrance, and himself at the front row._

_Ironically enough, it was the last photo he was able to take with his father before something happened to him in early 2001. What happened to him, he nor the rest of his family knew. However, he gently folds the photo vertically in half before folding again horizontally with his right hand-paw, placing the photo in the cargo pocket. With the photo he had to remember his family by safely tucked in his cargo pants pocket, he places his right hand-paw behind his pillow and closes his eyes, the comforts of sleep consuming his body within a matter of seconds._

* * *

 

_**The Kawasabus Shrine Inn Penthouse, 2009** _

Time has indeed passed by like sand going though an hourglass, with the years passing by like they were mere months. Man, how time tends to fly, many say. Either way, the deer lets out a soft sigh before stretching his arms, the female kitsune noticing this and stopping what she was doing within moments.

“Is it bad news?” the female kitsune asked curiously, her hand-paws still holding the flute in position.

“I haven't read a letter of good news in years, Maria”, Thrandeer answered before shaking his head softly. Maria, the female kitsune, began chuckling softly with a soft smile forming on her face shortly after he answered.

“Oh really”, Maria asked, managing to catch the male's attention enough to make him curious. “I recall writing letters to you”, she added following a playful, friendly wink, a soft giggle escaping her muzzle as she spoke. Thrandeer couldn't help but softly smile towards her upon hearing her response.

“Those were different”, Thrandeer responded, which again another, slightly softer giggle escaping her muzzle. But now that the topic regarding the letter was mentioned….

“How's Takasugi fairing?” Maria asked with a curious tone of voice, not having heard a word from him for quite sometime. Thrandeer loses his soft smile upon hearing her ask, but continues to remain calm nevertheless about the topic.

“His health declines daily. He and his disease, live alone…”Thrandeer answered before the kitsune turns her head away from the deer a bit upon hearing the buck's answer.

“I grieve for his consort. Uno must miss him”, Maria replied.

“Uno understands”, Thrandeer claimed, which in response causes the kitsune's eyes to gaze towards the male out of curiosity.

“How can you be so sure of that”, Maria asked upon hearing this, being rather curious by the male's choice of words.

“Takasugi has always lived by his own ways”, Thrandeer began. “He's something of a drawn sword”, the male finished right as Maria stands up from her spot and walks towards Thrandeer, taking a seat next to him on the left and even leaning towards the buck slightly.

“So unfortunate”, Maria began, the male deer nodding in response before turning towards the right a bit, his eyes gazing out the penthouse level window and looking at the outside world. “I feel as though Uno can help by serving as a… sheath of some sort”, she claimed. And when she said that, that caught the male buck's attention almost immediately, turning his head to face the kitsune with a curious look on his face.

“A sheath?” Thrandeer asked shortly after his eyes were set upon the multiple tailed vulpine next to him. 'Sheath' continues crossing his head numerous times right after she mentioned it. And the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. “I suppose so…” the buck added moments later, agreeing on the matter of Uno serving as a sheath for Takasugi. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he could apply that concept with someone hand have them serve as a sheath for one of his assassins? Who knows…


	8. The Clan Leader's Proposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Minor Tweaking done in this chapter

_ **The Clan Leader's Proposition** _

  


Another night has come to Kawasabus, and thus was another night for the assassins to come out and play. But despite the night being the time for the assassins to do their jobs, it was also the night for the Neo-Shinsengumi to resume their nightly patrols. Unfortunately for the Neo-Shinsengumi, tonight would not be a good night for them at all.

Within the woods of the Kawasabus National Park, Iizuka and Matt, both of which were dressed in their usual attire, were currently walking along the pathways leading to tonight's killings. They had been assigned to eliminate a few members of the Orimakishu Clan's ninjas to help lessen their numbers and increase the strength of the Kawasabus rebels, the group in which the Ishin-Mirkwood clan is aligned. Yet instead of finding any of their designated targets, both Matt and Iizuka were met with a very slow night, for not a single one of their targets were found… or so it seems.

Right as the two were about to call it a night, since nobody was in sight and they both had plans tomorrow (School for Matt and Clan Business for Iizuka), the loud sounds of sports whistles being blown were going off. The two assassins immediately turn to the left pathway and discover roughly seven approaching figures were heading their directions. But they weren't the ninjas they were assigned to kill. No, these were members of the Neo-Shinsengumi, and they were rushing towards them with great speed. All of them were wolves, whether they be arctic, timber, or a hybrid of sort, and every single one of them had their swords pulled out and prepared for their next kill. Neither one of them expected the Neo-Shinsengumi to show up at the National Park at this time, nor did they know the reason for their presence as well. But now was not the time to think about such things, for it was time for the two assassins to engage in battle.

Both Matt and Iizuka quickly rush towards the seven Neo-Shinsengumi members with their swords gripped tightly around their hand-paws, the fox leaping a good several feet towards one of them and performs a diagonal slash attack. One of the arctic wolves tried to block the attack, but the blade was unfortunately broken in two as a result along with having his torso sliced in half from the upper left shoulder down through the right oblique muscle. The bloody contents of the body's organs along with excessive amounts of blood began to splatter around the area, some of which spray onto Matt, Iizuka, and some of the Neo-Shinsengumi members. Some of the members rush towards Iizuka while another attempts to perform a horizontal slash against the fox. However, Matt drops onto the ground and performs a leg sweep with his right leg, knocking the attacker onto the ground before the fox stabs the wolf right through the chest with his sword. As soon as the blade was pierced right through his chest, the fox places his left hand-paw behind the back of the blade and pushes it upward, managing to slice right through the wolf's head and killing him instantly.

After Matt managed to dispatch his attacker, Iizuka manages to quickly eliminate two of the remaining five Neo-Shinsengumi assailants easily. However, the other three manage to corner him against a tree as the tanuki prepares for his next set of kills. But right as the wolves prepare to attack, however, the fox quickly kills them by using his sword to decapitate them. Their bodies fall onto the floor just as fast as blood starts spraying out of their bodies almost like water shooting out of a fire hydrant. Iizuka looks up to the fox and nods with a soft, thankful gesture before standing up. However, more sports whistles start going off just right of Matt's direction, the fox and the tanuki quickly turning towards the source of the sound. And once they spotted roughly more members of the Neo-Shinsengumi, Matt starts growling as both he and Iizuka grip the hilts of their swords tightly.

“Shit, there's more of them!” Iizuka exclaimed with a growl, the sounds of sports whistles going off becoming louder with each passing second.

“Surrender in the name of the Neo-Shinsengumi!” A vulpine member of the Neo-Shinsengumi shouted, the red and gray furred fox sprinting towards the two assassins with his blade drawn. Both Matt and Iizuka turn towards one another before turning towards the left pathway, noticing a large set of stairs up ahead.

“C'mon, we can take care of them up there!” Iizuka exclaimed before sprinting towards the stairs rapidly, with Matt following behind almost immediately. The Neo-Shinsengumi immediately notice this and began following them quickly, getting in hot pursuit of the two assassins rushing towards the stairs. Up the steps they go, the assassins continue their attempt to flee from the other assassins. Then an idea came to mind, with Matt turning towards the tanuki next to him.

“Iizuka! I'll take care of these guys. You go on ahead and hid behind one of the trees!” Matt exclaimed towards the tanuki, the other assassin giving him a cocked brow at the suggestion. As reluctant as he was about it, he nods with understanding and quickly rushes away from the stairway and into the woods.

As soon as the fox steps onto one of the square platforms, which was close to where a red Japanese gate was located, the vulpine quickly turns around with his sword raised and jumps towards the other fox near the bottom of the stairs.The Neo-Shinsengumi fox raises his katana up to defend himself from the assassin, but despite successfully managing to block the vertical attack, he was knocked back by the sheer force of the attack and hits one of the other approaching members by accident. He quickly makes a recovery and launches himself towards the assassin, but Matt's blade manages to stab right through the Neo-Shinsengumi fox's skull, killing him instantly. Pulling the blade out of the body's skull as quickly as he did, the fox notices three more Neo-Shinsengumi members, all wolves, rushing towards the fox with their blades in hand.

Seeing the three wolves approaching him as quickly as they did, the fox tightens his grip on the handle of his sword before rushing towards them with haste. One of the wolves raises his blade upward and attempts a vertical slash attack, but the fox quickly tilts the blade perpendicular to the angle of his opponent's sword and blocks the attack. An idea comes into the fox's mind just before the blade clashed loudly with the wolf's, clenching his left hand-paw into a fist and punching the back of his own sword and applying more force against his opponents. The resulting action was enough to slice Matt's sword right through the wolf's own, the top half of his opponent's blade spiraling upwards until the sharp tip of the broken blade stabbing the bark of the tree and sticking itself onto it.

With his opponent disarmed, the fox quickly performs a horizontal attack against his opponent and slices the wolf's body in half, severing the torso from the lower part of the body as blood starts splattering out of the two severed halves. Now his attention turns towards the other two wolves plus the third Neo-Shinsengumi member, who was a brown and white Siberian husky. The three remaining Neo-Shinsengumi members start rushing towards the fox rapidly with their swords in hand. Although Matt wanted to deal with them one at a time, he needed to end this quickly. With this in mind, he slowly gets into his battojutsu stance, performing the action by placing his sword back into its sheath and moving his left foot-paw back. He also leans his torso forward and twists his upper body to the left a little bit, his right hand-paw grabbing onto the handle of the sword and causing the three Neo-Shinsengumi members to stop right in their tracks. The fox's eyes were focusing on the three enemies in front of him, and he was ready for the next set of kills.

After a prolonged silence, the fox suddenly rushes towards them and jumps, pulling his sword out of the sheath and performing a diagonal slash against them, slicing the first two in half from the bottom right parts of the torso to the upper left. As for the husky, he had only sustained a slash mark across his chest, not bleeding too heavily from the wound itself. But the fox sought an end to the husky's life, performing an aerial sweep and deeply lacerating the husky's throat. Within a mere instant, the Neo-Shinsengumi husky collapses onto the ground and dies almost instantly due to excessive blood loss. With the Neo-Shinsengumi members dead, the fox grabs a cloth from his left cargo pocket and wipes the blade clean with it, only to place it back in the same pocket and sheath his sword shortly after the blade was cleaned.

The fox was rushing towards the spot where Iizuka hid, but suddenly stops on his tracks after hearing the sounds of sports whistles going off. Fortunately they were from a far away enough distance to where they can avoid getting seen by the approaching Neo-Shinsengumi, but that didn't mean they could stick around for a little while. No, they needed to get the hell out of there, and NOW! Spotting Iizuka rushing out of the woods, the fox nods towards the tanuki and quickly starts running though the forest, taking a shortcut to where Matt had parked his car.

“Dammit all! We were ambushed again!” Iizuka yelled furiously while quickly following Matt towards the hidden parking spot through the woods. “Those were definitely Neo-Shinsengumi, I knew it!!” he furiously continued, quickly reaching into his hakama pants pocket and grabbing a hold of his ICarrot 3G smartphone and pressing the button. “I'll call Thrandeer and tell him we have a traitor in our midst!” the tanuki yelled towards him and slides his thumb right through the slider to unlock his phone.

“Iizuka, don't try calling Thrandeer just yet!” Matt exclaimed with a calm and collected tone of voice. “If you try calling him now, there's no doubt the Neo-Shinsengumi or other Neo-Shogunate groups will be able to trace the call. Wait until we get to the car! That way I can turn the jammer on and prevent them from tracing the call”, the fox explained, continuing to sprint as fast as he could while trying to up the pace quickly. Iizuka was a bit skeptic about refraining from calling when Matt first started speaking. But after he had finished, the tanuki nods and places his phone back inside of his pocket, focusing his energy on getting the hell out of there as soon as possible.

Five minutes quickly pass like it were only three, with the two assassins making it to Matt's 2009 midnight black Dodge Challenger, which bore two red horizontal stripes on the hood and sides of the car. Grabbing his keys from his right pocket and quickly pressing on the unlock button, with a few soft beeping noises, the car doors were unlocked and allows the two male mammals to get in the car quickly. Matt places the keys into the ignition and starts the car right away, turning the radio jammer on so it would allow the examiner of executions to make the phone call without being traced by the local authorities, Neo-Shinsengumi, or any other members and clans in the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate. With the car started, the fox quickly pulls out of the secret parking spot and drives onto the road, with Iizuka making the phone call to Thrandeer to tell him everything that had transpired at the assassination site.

* * *

 

_**At the Assassination site, a few minutes after Matt and Iizuka's escape** _

Lamps and flashlights illuminate the assassination sight at the Kawasabus National Park, with several members of the Neo-Shinsengumi examining all of the bodies that lay dead on the early soils. While they were not surprised that some of their own would be killed, the caliber in which they've died was an entire different story. Two of the members, Okita and Saito, approach one of the severed bodies on the stairs and kneel down in front of the corpse, pointing their flash lights towards the lupine's body, which was horizontally sliced in half. And what they saw was a rather sickening sight to behold….

“His bones were cut clean through…” Okita said upon examining the clean cut that severed the wolf's upper body from the lower, especially after seeing the clean cut on the lower part of the vertebrae. Hell, the cut was as clean as a knife cutting through cheese.

“Was the assassin a jigen swordsman?” A lupine Neo-Shinsengumi member asked, examining another body next to the one Okita was looking at, seeing a husky Neo-Shinsengumi member with a lacerated throat.

“No, not possible”, Saito claimed, pointing his flashlight towards the other bodies throughout the rest of the stair cases. Okita looks to his left and notices a broken piece of a sword sticking onto the bark of a tree nearby, standing up and taking a closer look at the broken blade. “The assassin must've blocked Sudo's attack before using his own blade to sever Sudo's”, the wolf explained, his eyes narrowing slightly at the broken sword in the corpse's possession. “The level of damage is consistent with the method of a jigen swordsman”.

“This technique is more exact…” Okita claimed, his eyes continuing to examine the broken piece of the blade that once belonged to the late Sudo.

“Far more so…” Saito replied. “With an assassin of this caliber at large, I should've accompanied these mammals personally” the wolf added.

“Who could've done this?” A lupine Neo-Shinsengumi member asked with a set of widened eyes, again not expecting a grisly scene like this to happen, especially with an assassin of this skill level.

“A demon… in vulpine form”, Saito answered before turning around towards the other corpses within the area, aiming his flashlight at the spots where the mortal injuries were located. “Yet something tells me that, despite having done most of the work, he wasn't alone…” the wolf thought within his mind before resuming the investigation at hand. He knew the assassin needed to be stopped… and quickly before the body count continues to rise any further.

* * *

 

_**Matt's Hotel Room, One and a half hours later** _

After having a rough night at the assassination site earlier that night, along with having to go to a hectic meeting with other members of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, a nice, hot shower sounded rather nice right about now. And whats what Matt did right as soon as the meeting had concluded, having taken a thirty minute shower to cleanse his body from both the smell and stains of the Neo-Shinsengumi blood on him. The hot water helped relax the tense muscles on his body along with helping slow the blood flow coming from the scar on his left cheek. But despite having to deal with the Neo-Shinsengumi along with a very hectic meeting, a nice, how shower was definitely a great way to conclude the night.

After having showered for a good half an hour, the fox steps out of the bathroom holding a white towel over the scar on his left cheek. Dressed in a dark gray T-shirt and a pair of black pajama pants with white stripes on the side, Matt walks into the living room and takes a seat on the couch, resting his feet-paws on top of the coffee table. He leans forward and began to reach for the remote on the coffee table, but a knock on the door stopped him on his tracks. The fox stands up from the couch and starts walking towards the sliding door, grabbing the handle and sliding the door to the left. And the person standing by his doorstep definitely caught the fox by surprise.

The mammal standing at his doorway was none other than Jenny Bunni, the rabbit he had met at school roughly a couple weeks ago. The clothing she wore definitely caught his eye, especially dark green, tight fitting T-shirt she wore on her torso. On the chest area bore the Kawasabus Shrine Inn hotel logo in white. Her midnight blue nylon pants fit tightly around her hips down to her knees, only to give a nice bootcut down to the leg openings. White stripes can be seen going down on the sides of her hips, which give off a nice look to the pants. Lastly, her signature black and white Chuck Taylor shoes were worn over her feet-paws. A white Styrofoam box was in possession of the female's hand-paws, clearly smelling of freshly cooked chicken teriyaki with noodles, steamed veggies, and steamed brown rice. As the bunny continues to stand in front of the hotel room doorway, she looks up at Matt's left cheek and notices him holding the towel over it, which clearly meant one thing….

“Your wound's bleeding again, isn't it?” Jenny asked, the vulpine nodding softly towards her once in response. “Do you need any medical supplies?”

“No, I'm alright. Though I appreciate your offer”, Matt replied calmly before a question of his own began forming in his mind. “But what are you doing here? I thought you checked out last Saturday”, the fox asked with a curious tone.

“Amaya asked me to work here during the weekends for both morning and night shifts”, Jenny answered before lifting the box containing the food inside. “Speaking of which, I was told to deliver you your order”, she claimed, the smell of freshly cooked food filling the male's nostrils. His stomach growls a bit in response to taking in such a pleasant smell.

“Thanks, Jenny. I was starting to get a bit famished”, Matt replied with a thankful nod before gently grabbing a hold of the Styrofoam box with his right hand-paw and holding the door open by leaning his back against the edge of it. “I'll have to grab my wallet from the bedroom so I can pay you. Would you like to come in?” he asked before the bunny looks up at the fox with a nod.

“I would like that”, Jenny answered before the fox steps to the side, allowing the to rabbit enter his room. Entering the room as she did, the fox closes the door behind her with his right elbow and walks to the living room, setting his food on the coffee table before walking to his bedroom door. Jenny takes a seat on the couch right as the fox opens the sliding door and enters the bedroom to retrieve his wallet. The bunny looks around the room a bit and stretches her arms and legs, a yawn escaping her muzzle right as the fox exits the bedroom with his wallet in hand, and the towel no longer being held against his left cheek.

“How much is the order, Jenny?” Matt asked, opening his wallet and placing his hand-paws inside the main compartment. The bunny leans forward and moves her right hand-paw inside of the corresponding pocket, grabbing the receipt from it and pulling it out. Quickly looking over it, she looks back up to the fox before handing it to him.

“The order's ten-fifty”, Jenny answered, the fox nodding in response and grabs both a ten and one dollar bill from his wallet and handing both bills to the rabbit.

“Keep the change”, Matt replied before taking a seat next to her on the right, grabbing the packaged chop sticks attached to the top of the Styrofoam box and snapping the back parts of them off by gently pulling them away from one another. He opens the box and takes a brief sniff of the contents inside, the aroma of the freshly cooked Japanese food filling his nose quick. Man, was the fox famished right about now. Grabbing a piece of grilled chicken teriyaki and twirling the piece around some of the thick noodles, he pulls the chopsticks up towards his muzzle and places the food inside his mouth. As he ate, the female looks up at the scar on his left cheek, seeing that, although still red, the wound no longer bled.

“I hope you don't mind me asking, but can you tell me about your scar… regarding why it still bleeds n' all?” Jenny asked, wanting to try and make conversation in some way while he ate his food. Matt was chewing in the first bite when she asked that question, swallowing his food before turning to face her with a calm look on his face. He was still unsure about what to say on the matter, nor was he unsure of what she'll think of him after he tells her. But for now, one thing he knew of what to do was wait until the time was right to explain. With a calm sigh, the fox places the tips of his chopsticks into the brown rice before turning to face her.

“I'm honestly unsure on how to tell you about it just yet”, Matt replied, grabbing some of the brown rice with his chopsticks and placing some of the rice into his mouth.

“I see…” Jenny replied with a slightly disappointed tone of voice. She wanted to know more about the scar on his face, amongst other things about what he's been doing. She knew he had killed someone already, but something told her there was more about what he had been doing than what the fox told her. But despite the questions forming in her mind, she couldn't place them into words just yet. But there was one thing that she can put to words regarding his scar. “You know, every time I look at your scar, I keep getting reminded on how you made the rain bleed… I don't know why”, the rabbit claimed, turning away from him following a sigh. She closes her eyes as well, yet the feeling of a reassuring hand-paw on her right shoulder snapped her into attention, her sapphire blue eyes looking up to jade green.

“Jenny, I promised you I would tell you everything when the time came, and I intend to keep that promise”, Matt reassured with a calm tone of voice, one that sounded reassuring as well. She nods with an understanding tone before gently wrapping her arms around his muscular left arm, her head resting on his deltoid muscle. However, her eyes widen from her own actions and quickly releases her hold off him, a soft blush forming on her face after she did that. Thankfully, the fox was softly smiling towards her before gently patting the upper part of her back with his left hand-paw. “You should go on ahead and get back to the lobby. Amaya might start looking for ya if you stick around for much longer”, the fox claimed. Although she found herself reluctant to leave for reasons she didn't know, the rabbit nods with understanding before stepping off the couch. Walking towards the front door as she did, she turns her head towards him before waving at him with her right hand-paw.

“Have a good night”, Jenny said to the male before she exits the hotel room, closing the door behind her and began heading for the elevator. With the rabbit gone, the fox turns back to his food and grabs the chopsticks he was using, continuing to eat his food slowly with a small, content smile on his face. He felt at peace for the time being, but for how long, he was uncertain. Then again, only time can tell….

* * *

 

_**Inside Matt's hotel room, Sunday morning** _

Sunday mornings were usually peaceful mornings for a lot of people across the planet, whether it would be sleeping in for as long as needed, or to going to church in some cases. But that wasn't the case for the Ishin-Mirkwood clan inside the Kawasabus Shrine Inn. In fact, for a Sunday morning, it was rather rowdy and almost unruly, and with good reason as well. After Iizuka had told Thrandeer what had transpired, he had the clan have a meeting on the same night regarding the incident. Now another one was going on, with this one taking place inside of Matt's room since Thrandeer was out taking care of clan business. This particular meeting was about an order the deer had told examiner of executions to tell the others, and now Iizuka was sitting on the couch preparing to give the order Thrandeer specifically told him to give.

“What exactly did Thrandeer say to you?” one clan member, particularly a silver fox, asked.

“'You must refrain from any aggressive action until I instruct you otherwise'. Those were his exact words”, Iizuka claimed almost immediately, loud groans and growls escaping the muzzles from many clan members, predator and prey alike, with the exception of Matt. He was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, his back leaning against the wall adjacent to the wall where the front door was attached. His sword was sheathed and leaning against the front of his left shoulder.

“You can't be serious?!”

“What are we supposed to do? sit on out hand-paws and do nothing?!”

Those were only a few of the questions and complaints many of the mammals inside were saying, many others continuing to express their disbelief and disapproval of the order. Nobody liked the order the tanuki claimed Thrandeer had given him to tell the others. Hell, many of them were even questioning on the legitimacy on the order itself. Did Thrandeer actually give the order to the examiner of executions to tell the others? Or was it the tanuki who made up the order as an attempt to settle things down?

“The Neo-Shinsengumi are slaughtering patriots everyday! **NOW** should be the time we should be attacking them and those Mibu and Orimaku monsters!” another Ishin-Mirkwood clan member, a black and white furred Siberian Husky, exclaimed, a lot of the other clan members exclaiming in agreement.

“Yes!”

“Yeah!”

“We should fight!”

Theses were only a few of the chants many of the other clan members cried, their thirst for battle increasing with each passing second. The meeting was starting to get rowdier with each passing second, and something must be done to calm them down… and quickly at that.

“ENOUGH!” Iizuka shouted at the exact moment he slams his right fist onto the coffee table loudly, managing to silence the clan members who were able to attend the meeting. A few of the others were softly shushing the other who were still trying to be noisy. And despite the disappointing order, most were still wanting to know what the examiner of executions had to say. “The mammal standing next to you may in fact be a spy for our enemies! Should we plan an attack only for them to know in advance?!” the tanuki asked loudly, which that has proven to be an interesting point. Many of them were looking amongst one another cautiously, but not with malice. Were any of them spies at all, or was it in fact a joke? “Thrandeer's right. We wait”, and with this, the meeting concluded regardless of the other clan members wanted to say. But right now, Matt was still dead tired, barely only getting five hours of sleep thanks to Thrandeer having requiring him to use his room for the meeting.

Out of respect for the fox, the clan members began to leave the room to let the fox sleep peacefully. Matt didn't even notice his wound beginning to bleed for some odd reason. But honestly, he didn't care, because sleep sounded good right about now for the fox. Once the last member had left and shut the door behind himself, the fox began to drift off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

 

_**The Kawasabus Shrine Inn Gardens, a couple hours later** _

Clouds filled the entire sky in the latter part of the morning, especially within the shopping district region of the Japanese themed rural town. Soft sounds of thunder can be heard across the sky, but the sky did now begin to rain… just yet. In fact, a female rabbit by the name of Jenny Bunni was walking into the garden to lend a helping hand with Amaya and a couple of the other girls who showed up to work, with irises . Dressed in a black and blue kimono, along with a pair of Chuck Taylor shoes, the rabbit enters the Kawasabus Shrine Inn's garden and into the nearby shed. Her ears flicker to the sound of rain falling to the ground before a soft sigh of relief escapes her muzzle, having brought a large umbrella with her just in case.

“Is it raining again?” Amaya asked with a curious tone of voice, with Jenny turning towards Amaya and two nine tailed female arctic kitsunes, both of which were twins. They were both dressed in kimonos as well, with Amaya wearing a black and red kimono, while the two female kitsunes were dressed in purple and indigo colored kimonos. The first kitsune had purple as the main color and indigo as the secondary, while the second had indigo as the main color and purple as the secondary.

“Unfortunately it is”, Jenny answered.

“Good god, I'm sick to death of the rain”, Amaya answered. “Though Melissa and Maria on the other hand, are quite fond of it”.

“Of course we love the rain!” Both Melissa and Maria replied in agreement, giggles escaping the muzzles of both multi-tailed vulpine women.

“The weather forecast said it might be the last one for the fall. But honestly, since when could the weather mammals predict the weather accurately regardless of the up to date technology”, Jenny claimed with a slight chuckle escaping her muzzle.

“True”, Amaya replied with a slight chuckle. “But nevertheless, we can help brighten the day by rearranging the irises”, she claimed.

“Need any help?” Jenny asked before Maria, the second kitsune, turns to face the bunny nearby her station.

“Please, help Melissa cut the carrots”, Maria suggested, the bunny turning to face her and nods.

“Sure, I'll do what I can”, Jenny replied before starting to walk towards where Melissa was located.

“You're just like an Iris, Jenny”, Amaya claimed, stopping the bunny dead on her tracks as she turns to face the gray vixen nearby.

“Huh?” Jenny asked with a curious, almost dumbfounded expression on her face, wondering what the gray vixen had meant behind her words.

“In other words, you're like a beautiful flower, but one that stands out more on a cloudy day than a sunny day”, Amaya claimed, making the bunny look at her again with the same expression as before. However, she shakes it off with a chuckle before walking towards Melissa's station, taking a seat on the chair opposite to the one Melissa was sitting on. Grabbing a knife with her right hand-paw and a carrot with the left, she began to cut the vegetable with the knife piece by piece in silence, thinking about what Amaya meant behind those words and hoping to understand the meaning in due time.

* * *

 

_**Matt's Hotel Room, roughly 1:15 pm** _

The peaceful sounds of soft, tender breathing fill the hotel room Matt was staying in, with the fox sleeping against the wall adjacent to the wall where the front door was attached too. The sounds of rain hitting the ground outside can also be heard from inside the room, albeit faintly thanks to the window muffing the sound. Aside from those soft sounds, all was silent… until the hotel room door was opened by one of the maids with the use of a key card. And the one who opened the door was none other than a particular rabbit the fox knew.

Jenny Bunni opened the door to Matt's hotel room and walks inside of the room with a roller cart in the grip of her hand-paws, the cart containing various items like toiletries, towels, and several other room necessities. She began examining the room before turning her head to the right where the fox was located, seeing the fox sleeping so peacefully. She had been sent up there by one of the maids to go check on him and possibly clean up his hotel room if needed. Fortunately for her, the room was completely clean and free of any trash around the area. Regardless of the fact, she couldn't help but stare at the sleeping figure roughly five yards away from her. She couldn't help but let soft smile form on her face at such a sight, the male breathing slowly in such a peaceful manner.

But her soft smile didn't last long, however, for she notices the fox's left cheek was partially blood stained, which meant his scar had been bleeding again. She wondered if whether or not he had actually killed someone, yet based on his scent lacking blood except for the slash on his left cheek, that was quickly dismissed. Pulling the cart back as she did, she pushes the cart forward and approaches the sleeping vulpine nearby. She places the cart next to the vulpine's left and began to examine the scar on his left cheek, and based on how the scar currently looked meant it must've stopped sometime in the latter part of the morning. The bunny was about to grab some medical supplies to help tend to the injury when she examined the male's face closely, which reminded of something she did not expect.

“His face… the way his face looks reminds me of a sleeping child…” Jenny thought within her mind and continues to look at his face closely for another few moments. But the chill in the air soon snaps her out of her trance as another thing came into mind. Despite his fur, she figured he might've been cold in some way. With that in mind, the bunny turns to the cart and grabs a large, light gray towel, and wraps it around the sleeping fox's shoulders gently. Her eyes gaze towards his face for the second time, similar thoughts starting to form inside of her mind. “A child may be able to commit murder. But…” the bunny thought from the back of her mind, yet began to lean forward and moves her right hand-paw towards the male's face. However, she stops on her tracks and turns towards the cart, moving away from the fox with the intention to grab a few things from it.

The rabbit began examining the middle compartment of the cart she had brought into the room, her hand-paws moving through it at a decently quick pace. She was looking for some medical rubbing alcohol along with cotton swabs to help disinfect the wound. Fortunately she was able to grab a hold of the necessary supplies she needed and places them on the ground next to her. Closing the compartment as she did, the bunny grabs a cotton swab and the medical peroxide, opening the cap with her left thumb and sticking the swab into the bottle. She pulls it out moments later and closes the bottle, setting it next to the front left wheel of the cart before scooting towards the fox. The bunny starts moving the wet swab towards his cheek, but what was about to happen next was something she herself did not expect at the slightest.

When the cotton swab she had was only a quarter of an inch away from his scar, the fox's eyes suddenly shoot wide open much to the bunny's surprise. No! That wasn't the right word to describe how she felt. She was in pure _**shock**_! And what happened next within a mere fraction of a second, the fox grabbing the rabbit and pinning her to the back left corner of the couch with his sword unsheathed, the sharp edge of he blade only half an inch away from her throat. Never before did she see him in such a terrifying form, his now fiery green eyes and seething white teeth exposed to the bunny in a predatory sort of way. Fortunately for Jenny, the terrifying look on Matt's face wouldn't last much longer.

Almost right after the fox had quickly penned the bunny against the back left corner of the couch, the fire in his eyes burn out in an instant. His fiercely narrow eyes widen with shock before releasing the bunny, taking a few steps back away from her with soft panting following shortly after. For a moment he thought he was about to get attacked by an unknown enemy within the safety of his hotel suite. But never did he expect Jenny of all people to be the one inside of his room alone. And when he turns his head towards the left a bit, seeing both the cart and the medical supplies on the ground, he immediately realized she didn't pose a threat at all, but only came in here to tend to the wound on his cheek. Turning his head towards the bunny, the fox began panting slower after seeing the terrified look on the rabbits face, his eyes narrowing apologetically within a matter of seconds before a soft sigh escapes his muzzle.

“I'm sorry…” Matt apologized softly to the terrified bunny in front of him while sheathing his sword. But almost immediately after sheathing his blade, he notices a light gray towel over him and pulls it off, looking at it for a moment before turning back to the rabbit nearby. Although she was still terrified about what just happened, she manages to get back onto her feet-paws and looks down towards the medical supplies to her right, her eyelids closing partially.

“I thought you were… might be cold…”, Jenny began, her left hand-paw moving to the upper part of her right arm. “And… I also saw blood on your left cheek and… thought I can help clean up your wound”, she continued, the fox's eyes gazing towards her momentarily before closing them.

“I'm sorry…” Matt apologized for the second time, his voice bearing more of an apologetic tone compared to the calm tone he first used to apologize with. He starts walking to the coffee table in front of the couch before placing the sheathed weapon on the table surface.

“Do you tend to sleep against the walls like that?” Jenny asked, now bearing a curious tone of voice despite the somewhat terrified look on her face.

“Not always”, Matt answered, his eyes set upon the sheathed weapon before him. “Regardless, though, a swordsman like myself must adapt to all environments if a bed or couch isn't available to sleep on”, the fox explained while Jenny was picking up the medical supplies and placing them back into the middle compartment. She closes the compartment and pulls the cart away from the couch, turning it a hundred eighty degrees and rolling it towards the front door. The rabbit turns around after placing the cart by the door, shifting her attention to the fox sitting on the couch.

“You know, you could stop killing if you wanted to…” Jenny began, approaching the fox and climbing onto the couch, taking a seat next to Matt as she spoke. “No one can go on killing forever. You can find a place of peace where you can sleep without a sword by your side…” she claimed, managing to grab the fox's attention with those next set of words, his jade green eyes staring down towards the rabbit's sapphire blue pair. But despite the brief moment they gazed at each other, the fox turns away from the rabbit and lets out a calm sigh, closing his eyelids before beginning to speak.

“I've… been trying that since I was only a kit, ever since I lost my aunt to the hand-paws of several assassins many years ago…. It's not easy”, Matt responded, reopening his eyes and gazing towards the sheathed sword in front of him. “I wish sleep was my only fear, but I guess that's not the case for me”, he added, his hand-paws moving to his thighs and clutching them almost tightly. The bunny gasped softly upon hearing about this, since never before did he mention anything about his parents, especially with mentioning the death of his mother.

“Matt…” Jenny replied softly, unsure of what else to say next. However, the fox's brows furrow and his eyes set themselves towards the rabbit.

“I already know I'm not gonna live a long life, and I've come to accept that fact”, Matt claimed before standing up from the couch, closing his eyes and turning his head away from her. “Look, I understand you're only trying to help, and I appreciate what you're doing. However, you're wasting your time worrying about it more than I do”, the fox continued with a calm tone of voice, his hand-paws unconsciously clenching slightly into a fist momentarily before unclenching his fingers. He turns his head towards the rabbit with his eyes partially open. “I thank you for your kindness and all, but its better spent on someone else, Jenny. Nothing you possess should ever smell of blood”, the fox finished before turning away from her, grabbing his sword and began walking towards the suite's bedroom.

The fox approaches the bedroom door and places his right hand-paw onto the handle of the sliding door. But before he could open it, however, the fox felt a hand-paw turn him a hundred eighty degrees following a loud _**SMACK**_ to the face from the same hand-paw. He was about to let out a growl, but stopped himself as soon as he notices the pair of sapphire blue eyes looking up at him angrily, and on the verge of tears.

“What the hell's your problem, Matt?” Jenny growled, soft sobs escaping her muzzle as she began to speak. “I was only trying to help you and you're just gonna push me away like that?!” she nearly shouted towards him, marching up to him and shoving him against the door with a surprisingly strong force, obviously from how upset she was.

“Jenny, I-” Matt began.

“NO!” Jenny shouted from the top of her lungs, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks with fury. “Its obvious you don't want me butting into your personal life, even if I was only trying to help! And if you don't want me around anymore, SO BE IT!” She shouted following a series of sobs before turning away from the fox and running for the front door.

“Jenny-” Matt spoke and was about to sprint towards the door to help calm the bunny down, but the female gave him a rather deathly glare, stopping him dead on his tracks.

“DON'T try talking to me anymore, Matt! JUST DON'T!” Jenny shouted through her sobs before grabbing the cart, rushing out of the room before turning around briefly to slam the sliding door. Matt was too shocked to move, nor did he wanna fuel the fire anymore than he unintentionally had. A heavy guilt-ridden sigh escapes his muzzle before closing his eyes, shaking his head in a similar tone before walking towards his bedroom door. He didn't know what to do, and he felt really bad about what he said to her. His heart felt heavy after hearing those words, like a pile of bricks had crushed his heart. The fox opens his bedroom door and enters the room, closing the door behind him. Today was definitely not his day….

* * *

 

_**The Inn Penthouse, six hours later** _

The day has been rather hectic for the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, especially after having a rowdy hotel meeting inside Matt's room earlier. And since that meeting, its been getting a lot harder to keep the clan under control, even after returning to the hotel a quarter til five in the afternoon. The clan was hungry for blood, and they wanted to kill off the enemy clans and Neo-Shinsengumi immediately. But now was not the time to think about such things until after proper planning has been arranged.

About two and a half hours after returning to the hotel, Thrandeer Katzuma was currently sitting on the sofa inside of the Penthouse he currently occupies, a small cup of sake in his right hand-paw. Despite not being able to taste the beverage, he is in a real need for it to help settle his nerves and hopefully lower his stress levels. Usually dressed in clothing suited for battle, tonight was an entirely different story. His attire now consisted of a black tank top along with a charcoal gray pair of pajama pants with black stripes on the side. The deer could've set up another meeting with give the rowdy members a piece of his mind, but right now he just wanted to relax… or that would've been the case of he hadn't heard a knock on the door. Then again, he knew it must've been room service coming to deliver him his dinner.

“Come in”, Thrandeer said to the person knocking on the door, the sliding door opening to reveal the English-born bunny Matt had met recently. And telling by the look she bore on her face, something told him she wasn't in the best of moods.

“Your food's here, sir”, Jenny replied to the deer before walking towards him with the Styrofoam box in both hand-paws, barely managing to place it on the table by standing on just her toes. “That'll be nine-fifty, Thrandeer”, she said to the buck before the deep grabs his wallet next to his food, pulling out a ten for the female and handing it to the bunny.

“Here, keep the change”, Thrandeer replied, the female rabbit nodding prior to accepting the ten and placing it inside her kimono pocket. She turns away from the male before walking towards the door, which an idea soon began formulating inside of the buck's mind. Recalling a conversation he had with Maria a few days ago, maybe…. “Pardon me, Jenny, assuming I guessed your name right”, the deer began, the rabbit stopping on her tracks before turning towards him with a curious look on her face.

“Yes, Thrandeer?” Jenny asked, curious on what it is he wanted to say to her.

“If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to talk to you for just a moment, please”, Thrandeer replied. And although the rabbit wasn't exactly in the best of moods, she nods towards the deer and walks towards him, taking a seat on the sofa right across from the one he was sitting on.

Once the bunny had gotten comfortable on the other sofa, Thrandeer began to explain some of the reasoning behind her presence inside. One of them regarded Matt Wilde and how the deer had made him into an assassin through his own teachings. As uncomfortable as the rabbit was to hear about Matt, especially after the heated rant she made after trying to help him, she continued to listen in hopes of at least trying to figure out something the things the vulpine was getting himself involved in. She wasn't surprised on the fact Matt had been an assassin (especially after seeing him carrying a sword almost constantly), but she was still somewhat shocked about the caliber of his skill. Once Thrandeer had explained everything, the entire talk taking about fifteen minutes, now it was time for the bunny to bring up an interesting question.

“Justice disguised as insanity?” Jenny asked with a cocked brow.

“It was a principle that was brought forth by my master, Yoshida”, Thrandeer began. “In order to facilitate a greater good, one must sometimes do what is abhorred”, the deer explained further, the rabbit's eyebrows furrowing at what he said.

“So you've made Matt the embodiment of this concept?” Jenny asked, a prolonged pause filling the air as the buck looks towards the rabbit with a calmly serious look on his face.

“Yes, I suppose…” Thrandeer replied. “Which is precisely why I need to talk to you, Jenny”, he claimed, making the bunny cock another curious brow at him. “My friend, Takasugi, has lived a very violent life… one that will soon come to an end. He would be a lost cause as a mammal if not for his consort, Uno, who serves as his sheath”.

“His sheath? What do you mean?” Jenny asked curiously, yet now stating to become intrigued by what he was saying.

“She shields him from his inner self”, Thrandeer answered, now time to bring up the next important question. “Will you be a sheath for Matt?” and with that question, Jenny's eyes widen slightly upon hearing this. She didn't know exactly how to answer on that, nor was she sure if she's willing to perform such a task.

“You ask me…?” Jenny asked, albeit a bit reluctantly.

“A part of Matt is crying out for something meaningful. The life I've made for him will not satisfy that”, Thrandeer answered before letting out a soft sigh from his muzzle. “You're the only one who has ever touched him. You have the best chance of saving Matt from himself”, he claimed, making the rabbit's eyes widen in response to such words. She didn't expect to hear the clan leader to ask her such a thing, nor was she unsure if she can go through with it after earlier this afternoon. She looks down to herself and began breathing a bit faster.

“I… I don't know if I can go through with the request”, Jenny answered honestly. However, a reassuring hand-paw from Thrandeer helped slow her breathing rate, along with getting her to raise her head towards him.

“You don't have to answer me right away. All I'm asking for you is to take some time to seriously think about what I've said”, Thrandeer replied. “Please… I'm willing to do anything to keep Matt from becoming an unrepentant killer”, the male calmly pleaded, willing to do anything to help Matt in anyway possible. Jenny was still unsure about the request after what had happened today, but she also didn't want him to become an unrepentant killer as well. But after a moment, she closes her eyes and lets out a heavy sigh, still unsure of how to answer.

“I'll think about it, Thrandeer… but I can't make any promises”, Jenny answered with an honest tone, the deer nodding with understanding.

“Thank you”, Thrandeer replied before grabbing a notepad from the coffee table along with a pen, opening the pad and begins to write down something on the notepad. When he finished, the male buck rips out the piece of paper and hands it to the rabbit. “I do expect an answer from you by Friday night at the latest”, he said, the rabbit nodding and looking at the phone number he had wrote down for her.

“Alright”, Jenny replied with a nod before standing up and walking towards the front door, stopping halfway there to turn her head to the left. “As I said, I can't make any promises. But I'll think about everything you've said to me”, she finished before turning away from the deer and walking out of the room, closing the door behind her and leaving the buck to himself.

“I sincerely hope you make the right decision, Jenny. I'm counting on you”, Thrandeer thought inside of his mind before grabbing the Styrofoam box Jenny had delivered to him moments before, pulling the chopsticks off the top of the box with the intention to eat. Now that he was alone in his room, all he can do now was hope for the future of his clan, Matt's sanity, and for Jenny's decision being the right one.


	9. Predatory Pest Control

_ **Predatory Pest Control** _

  


The rest of the week has been rather hectic for many people within Kawasabus, particularly those amongst the Ishin-Mirkwood clan. Thrandeer was doing his best to keep the clan members in line, but has so far proven not to be an easy task. With the help of both Iizuka and Matt, however, they were able to keep the other clan members in line despite their increasing thirst for blood. While many clan members were pretty hectic or stressed about clan related matters, Matt had the worst of it all, most of which wasn't clan related matters.

Ever since he had last talked with Jenny Sunday afternoon, both he and the rabbit haven't been on speaking terms whatsoever. Despite wanting to try to talk with Jenny at school, he hadn't the chance due to not seeing Jenny during lunch hour or if she marched out of the lounging area as soon as she saw him. He felt bad about what happened on Sunday, but there was nothing he could do to remedy the situation. Then again, how could he if he didn't have the right words to say.

As for the matters relating to the clan, the assassinations have gotten increasingly difficult to take care of, especially since some members of the Neo-Shinsengumi have been getting involved by guarding the targets the clan was assigned to kill. But despite the problems they faced regarding the Neo-Shinsengumi, the fox was able to dispose of them without a problem. But with each night the assassinations continued, the caliber in which the fox was disposing of them had increased drastically. For instance, he dispatched several Neo-Shinsengumi members by literally severing them into pieces with numerous slash attacks.

Now it was the late morning of Friday, lunch hour having just started for many of the Kawasabus High School students. The fox had finished taking his exam for his Advanced Algebra class, having found out he made a B+ after class had let out. Now the vulpine was approaching his locker and preparing to unlock the combination lock, needing to drop off a couple a thing or two inside the locker (the most important of them being his concealed sword he carried with him throughout the morning). Once the locker was unlocked, he pulls the handle and opens the four foot tall locker, taking off his backpack quickly and using the passing of various students as an advantage to quickly hide the concealed blade. His sword was concealed with a black blanket along with his similarly colored hoodie, three red, thick rubber bands strongly securing the cloth to where it won't fall off easily. With his weapon placed inside his locker, the fox closes his locker and locks the combination lock securely, grabbing both his backpack and his packed lunch with him.

Now that his sword was hidden in the safety of his locker, the fox began to sprint towards the student lounging area to go heat up his lunch. The clothing he wore on him consists of a solid black V-neck T-shirt, which fit tightly around his muscular built torso enough to show some of the definition. Olive green cargo pants cover the legs through their entirety while the leg openings were contained inside of his black open toe combat boots. And as usual, a pair of black gloves cover the hand-paws through their entirety, with holes being seen on the knuckles of his hand-paws.

Matt arrives to the student lounging area within a mere couple of minutes, walking directly towards the microwave and noticing several students already inside. He gets to the microwave and pulls his lunch out of the bag, consisting of grilled chicken along with a salad to go with his meal. He places the chicken inside of the microwave for about a minute and a half, turning his head to the right and noticing Jenny, who was sitting quietly by herself and surprisingly hasn't left yet. Her clothing consisted of a dark purple T-shirt, a pair of sanded dark gray tight fitting jeans, and her usual black and white Chuck Taylor shoes.

The fox began to approach the rabbit with intention to talk with her, yet stopped on his tracks after taking two steps forward. He didn't know what to say to her, nor was he sure if she would end up leaving the lounging area like she had the past four days. His eyes look down towards the left and the top eyelids close halfway. He wasn't sure if he can approach her, he didn't know what to do. The sound of the microwave began going off again to let the occupant know their food was done. The fox turns to the microwave and opens the door, grabbing a hold of the heated container with his gloved hand-paws before turning to facing Jenny. This time, he was genuinely surprised to see the bunny giving a very soft, but real smile towards him and even waved at him invitingly. Perhaps things between them would be okay, he thought. And with this knowledge, the fox starts walking towards her and places the heated container inside of his lunch bag, eagerly quickening the pace of his walking with a soft smile forming on his muzzle. Matt was ready to talk to her again, and he really wanted to set things right with her again… or that was the plan until something (or someone) knocks him onto the ground all of the sudden. Gasps were heard across the lounging area along with a few devious, predatory chuckles.

The fox ends up on the ground as a result of the unexpected attack, managing to recover moments later by getting back up onto his feet-paws. He looks up to the direction where the unexpected attack came from, rolling his eyes upon seeing the ones responsible for the attack. And standing roughly ten yards away from him were Derrick, Shane, and Marcus. While dressed in different types of clothing and of different species, the one thing they share in common is the hugely muscular bodies they bore.

Derrick, Matt's attacker, is a black furred jaguar bearing brown spots across his body, with yellow eyes gazing down directly towards him. His attire consisted of clothes many typical jocks wore in school, which include a pair of blue jeans, white sneakers, white T-shirts, and a High School Letterman jacket consisting of the school's colors. The leather sleeves of his jacket were of a white color while the cloth vest bore a red color. He was the tallest of the group, being roughly six feet eight inches in height.

Shane is a tan and brown furred German Shepherd bearing sapphire blue eyes, with long brown hair being tied back with a black ponytail. His clothing, unlike Derrick's, were more identical towards those of a metal head's, his clothes consisting of dark sanded blue distressed jeans, black open toe boots, and a tight fitting black T-shirt with As I Lay Dying's 'An Ocean Between Us' album cover on the front portion of his shirt. The German Shepherd was roughly about five feet ten inches tall in height, being the shortest of the trio.

Marcus is a purely white furred arctic wolf bearing eyes much like Matt's own, but with a slightly brighter tint and less saturation to them. Long, black hair can be seen being tied back in a similar style as Shane's, with the exception of several strands being seen in the front part of his hair. His clothing was more of a mix between both Derrick's and Shane's clothing, bearing a white and red Letterman jacket like Derrick, but with distressed jeans and black open toe boots like Shane's. His shirt was an entirely different story, however, for it was purely a solid gray T-shirt with a V-neck around the collar of his shirt. In terms of height, he was the middle mammal of the three, being about six feet two inches in height.

Regardless of the species they were and the clothing they wore, all three of them were after one thing, and one thing alone. And he was standing right in front of them!

“Well look what we have here”, Shane growled with a devious grin on his face following a malicious grin on his face.

“Looks like we got us an untrustworthy, mother fucking fox”, Derrick growled with a similar tone, clenching his right hand-paw into a fist and using his left to pop his knuckles. Matt's eyes narrow towards the jaguar's unruly comments, yet continues to stand his ground and clench his fists tightly.

“God, every time I see one, I just wanna beat the shit out of them with my own claws. Untrustworthy pricks they are”, Marcus growled, unsheathing his claws and looking down towards the fox down below. Matt merely remains at the same spot he was at, his green eyes staring up towards the others calmly. However, he lets out a calm sigh before

“Look, I'm not in the best of moods, guys. So why don't you three do me a favor and get the fuck out of here”, Matt replied calmly with a frown on his face before walking towards the sofa where Jenny was located. But a ferocious kick in the stomach by Derrick stopped him dead on his tracks, the fox hitting his back against the wall before falling onto the ground.

“Whoa, seems the fucking fox here's gotta bad mouth on him, doesn't he, boys!” Derrick exclaimed before marching towards the fox maliciously. The other students in the lounging area began gathering around the area to watch the ongoing fight, only one of them stepping in front of the attackers as an attempt to break up the fight.

“Guys! This isn't the place to fight!” Jenny shouted, her arms spread as wide as possible. She may not be exactly fond of Matt at this time, but at least she's calmed down enough to where she can try to talk to him later on. When Derrick, Shane, and Marcus trying to cause a fight, she knew she had to do something despite her size. But the three predators, on the other hand, merely laugh towards her feeble attempts of trying to break up the fight.

“Oh ho! Is it just me or does this cute little bunny bitch here think she has the authority to tell us what to fucking do?!” Derrick roared with a sinister grin on his face before unsheathing his own claws, pulling his right arm back and attempts to strike the rabbit. However, Matt grabs the back of Jenny's shirt and pulls her back with enough force to get her away from the feline's attack. Now the fox was fuming, his green eyes beginning to burn in a fiery rage and his breathing getting heavier with each growl that escapes his muzzle.

The fox began to march towards the three large predators while cracking his knuckles, yet the wolf suddenly grabs him by his shirt collar and lifts him up. Struggling at first, the fox manages to get out of his captor's grip by stomping his feet onto Marcus' face. Doing a back flip and landing on his feet-paws, the fox narrows his eyes on the wolf and began sprinting towards him at an almost god-like speed. But a vicious knee-kick attack to the ribs stop him dead on his tracks, the kick knocking the fox to the other side of the lounging room. Matt quickly makes an aerial recovery and lands on the wall with his feet-paws, briefly spitting a decent portion of his own blood onto the ground before setting his sights on his attacker, Shane.

Jenny could literally not believe what she was seeing. How was Matt able to move at such a god-like pace like that? Was this only a taste of what Thrandeer had warned her about, or perhaps it was a coincidence? Either way, the rabbit was in too much shock to comprehend the sight, especially with how he was able to recover from a nasty attack like it never happened. Speaking of which, she watches the fox jumping towards the German Shepherd from the wall with both of his fists clenched tightly, raising his right fist backwards as a preparation for an attack. But the fox's attack would never go through.

“Alright, KNOCK IT OFF, YOU FOUR!” A loud, deep voice roared loudly at the exact moment the figure grabs a hold of Matt's bushy tail with his left hand-paw, using his right forearm to block the other three predators from trying to attack. All four of them turn to face the one stopping them, only for all but Matt's set of eyes to widen in shock.

The one who had stopped the fight from progressing any further was none other than the High School Principal, Salazar Lionwhite, a hugely muscular lion who stood roughly about six feet ten inches in height. His fur was mostly of a yellow and creamy tan color, with his long mane being a dark red color. His eyes were of a teal color, which complemented the color of his mane in an interesting manner. The principal's light dress shirt, which fit tightly around his hugely muscular torso to the point where most of the muscle definition was literally showing. Similarly enough, the loose fitting black flats also bore a tight fitting look thank to his legs being of a similar built, the exception being around the leg opening where they opened similar to a pair of bootcut jeans. Lastly, dark brown open toe boots were worn over the lion's feet-paws.

Once the fight had been broken up, the lion sets the fox down onto the ground right as a few police officers, both fox sized and large sized predators, arrive onto the scene. They approach the suspects and ordered the four to get on their knees with their hand-paws placed behind their heads. As the police arrested the four males, the witnesses of the fight began to give their accounts on what had transpired. Although much of the details on what exactly happened were fuzzy, not to mention it took literally two class periods just to get all the details correct, they all claimed the three predators had attacked Matt first while the fox was trying to find somewhere to sit and eat lunch.

Several minutes after jotting down the eyewitness accounts from the students, including the account coming from Jenny herself, Principal Lionwhite approaches the police officers to discuss other matters regarding the four students in custody. The debate took no longer than a few minutes, coming into conclusion that it was time to hear the fox's claimed on what had happened during lunch hour. Both Principal Lionwhite and the police officers approach the four hand-cuffed males and look directly towards Matt Wilde himself.

“Alright, Mr. Wilde, can you tell us from your point of view regarding what happened in lunch hour?” Principal Lionwhite asked with a calm, stern tone of voice, his hulking muscular arms crossed in an authoritarian manner. Last thing the fox needed was to explain everything that transpired and cause any unnecessary problems on his end. But if it meant he could possibly get released from police custody, then so be it. With a soft sigh, the fox looks up towards the lion along with the police officers in front of him and his attackers.

“It started right after I grabbed my lunch from the microwave and began looking for somewhere to sit when Derrick, Shane, and Marcus attacked me out of nowhere”, Matt began, the sounds of growls escaping the muzzles of the three other predators who attacked him. “The situation escalated when Derrick started calling me 'an untrustworthy, mother fucking fox', to Marcus saying he 'wanted to beat the shit out of me with his claws'. I told them I wasn't in the best of moods and told them to do me a favor and leave me the fuck alone right after hearing their shit”, he explained further on the matter. “Next thing that happens is Derrick over here starts approaching me maliciously before Jenny got between us as an attempt to break up the fight. Then he starts running his mouth again and called Jenny a 'cute little bunny bitch' and attempted to strike her with his right hand-paw, but I quickly pulled her back by the back of her shirt to prevent her from getting wounded by him”, the fox recalled calmly. “Then pretty much right after protecting Jenny, I fought back out of self defense, and the rest is pretty much history”, the fox finished, letting out a soft sigh before turning to face Jenny, who was briefly staring back at him with a neutral expression on her face.

Both the Principal and the police look over the notes they carefully jotted down to make sure there wasn't a discrepancy with what the fox had said. Coincidentally enough, all of the information the fox said had matched the notes they jotted down from the eyewitness accounts. With this in mind, a police officer, particularly a cross fox with green eyes like Matt's, approaches Matt and pulls the keys out of his pocket, unlocking the hand-cuffs keeping him in custody. As for the other officers, they approach the three predators in custody and leads them out of the school premises and towards the cruisers outside. Although Matt was freed, that didn't mean he was off the hook. Principal Lionwhite approaches the injured fox before growling softly towards the vulpine.

“I'll be seeing you in my office after school, Matt”, Principal Lionwhite spoke towards the fox with a calm, stern tone of voice. “You're lucky you aren't facing any criminal charges, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook”, the lion added before turning around, taking five steps forward before turning his head towards the fox. “Although this is the final class period, I advise you to have those wounds taken care of as soon as possible. Especially the one on your left cheek”, he advised, Matt's eyes widening quickly and placing his left hand-paw onto the wound, using his gloved hand-paw to stop the blood from flowing out of the wound. With the wound being mentioned, the lion takes his leave along with many of the other students leaving the lounging room and towards their final classes. Everyone except him… and Jenny.

The fox turns towards his left a little and notices the rabbit still standing there, her head lowered and her eyes facing away from him. Perhaps he could use this time to try and talk with the rabbit, hoping he could try to explain his actions to her regarding Sunday, and possibly try and set things right? Honestly, he wasn't sure, but he at least needed to check to see if she was okay nonetheless. He began walking towards her with his right hand-paw slightly raised towards her, but the bunny starts walking away from him without looking at the fox.

“Jenny, wait!” Matt pleaded, bearing an urgent tone in his voice. He needed to talk to her, he needed to set things right. Fortunately for him, the rabbit stops on her tracks despite not turning to face him, which is at least a slightly good start. With a soft sigh escaping his muzzle, the fox closes looks down towards the floor in front of him. “I'm sorry…” the fox began with a soft tone, the bunny's ears slightly raising upward a bit after having heard the fox's words. “… for the way I've acted last Sunday. Although it wasn't my intention to push you away, it was unacceptable of me to talk to you the way I did last Sunday”, he continued with the same tone of voice, although his guilt began to become more apparent at he spoke. “I hope you can forgive me one say…. And if not, I'll understand”, the vulpine said before turning towards his lunch bag and backpack that lay near the sofa, taking several steps towards his belongings before stopping on his tracks, his head turning to face Jenny. “Thanks for taking the time to listen. It really means a lot to me”, and with those words, the fox turns away from the rabbit and walks towards his belongings, unaware that Jenny had turned to face him for a moment, a softly surprised look on her face. She wanted to talk to him regarding what he said, but she didn't have the right words to tell him. The bunny lets out one last soft sigh and heads to her final period class, leaving the vulpine to himself and hoping everything goes for the better for him.

* * *

 

_**Kawasabus High School, about an hour later** _

Stress! That's what some of the students at Kawasabus High School were feeling right about now. But despite the students having a common similarity, one such student bore the most of it. Jenny Bunni was that student, especially after having to check her fifth and sixth period classes as a result for staying behind to recount the fight that happened during lunch hour. And now she has some unwanted make-up work to do thanks to the three predators who attacked Matt.

Sometime after grabbing the make up work for her fifth and sixth period classes, the rabbit leaves the school premises and departs to her home by foot. While she did know how to drive, the rabbit didn't have access to a car and was required to ride the bus in order to get to school on time. She usually would do the same when it came to getting home as well, but needed some peace and quiet instead of hearing a large number of complaints from the other students. Besides, after having a stressful afternoon, who the hell would want to deal with a bunch of rowdy punks on the bus anyways?

Either way, regardless if whether or not she'll be getting home late in the afternoon or even at night, she needed some time to think. Not just on everything that happened a few hours ago, but also on the way Matt had fought the predators. If the principal didn't know about the fight, could the students have stopped the vulpine, or would he'd been too fast for them to catch. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense, and to a small extent, the more it terrified her. She knew without a doubt Matt would've found a way to kill his attackers with only the use of his hand-paws despite his size, if the principal hadn't intervened. Thank god he did, though, or otherwise Matt could've either gotten seriously wounded to the point it was life threatening, or he would've killed his attackers without a second thought.

Now that she thought about Matt, she began to recall the proposition Thrandeer had made on Sunday regarding Matt himself. She recalled the clan leader asking her to be Matt's sheath to help prevent him from becoming an unrepentant killer. The rabbit wasn't sure on why he had proposed this at first, but after seeing him fight firsthand like that, she now began to understand why. But regardless if she was beginning to understand the caliber of his skills, she wasn't sure if she can really go with Thrandeer's proposition. What if she fails to stop him from becoming an unrepentant killer? And would Matt be willing to have her as his sheath? That she was unsure of.

Walking along the side of the countryside roads as she did, she places her hand-paws inside of her pockets and continues to think about the clan leader's proposition a bit further. She wanted to find a way to help Matt, but she was still unsure of how. And was she afraid of him after the incident on Sunday? She was unsure. Looking up towards the road, the bunny notices a dirt road leading into the woods, knowing for sure this one was a shortcut leading to her home when walking on foot. The bunny turns towards the dirt road and walks quietly along the path, unaware of three sets of predatory eyes watching over her roughly a hundred yards behind her.

Shane, Derrick, and Marcus have been quietly following her on foot from a very far distance, enough to where they could see her and not enough for her to be able to track them with her sensitive hearing. The three predators had been released almost immediately after being taken to the station, their parents having picked them up and paying the fines. But the parents were not happy with what their late teen kits had gotten into at school, which lead to some rather heated arguments after finding out they've been expelled via phone call. Now the three predators were out for blood, and Jenny was their first target.

“There's that bunny bitch who thought she could try to stop me from beating that sorry fox's ass”, Derrick growled softly. “To think a prey of all mammals would even dare to stop me”, the jaguar growled a bit louder, but Shane fortunately covers his muzzle before the sound could echo across the woods.

“Keep it down, Derrick! Do you want the bunny to hear us?!” Shane whispered, albeit with a soft growl. Derrick quickly shakes his hand-paw off by shaking his head a few times, yet also shakes his head as a non-verbal way to answer his question. “Good! We've almost got her, just be a bit more patient, will you?” the wolf asked sternly before turning his head to the right, looking at Marcus holding a pair of binoculars over his eyes. “Where's the bunny bitch heading to?” the German Shepherd asked, a sinister grin forming on the wolf's face right after hearing him ask.

“Right where we want her”, Marcus answered, removing the binoculars from his eyes and placing them back into the bag next to him. “I think its time we catch our prey, don't ya think?” he asked sinisterly, pulling the bag over his shoulders before turning towards the other two predators.

“Yes”, both Shane and Derrick answer simultaneously, the two males standing up and allowing the three predators to start walking towards the direction hastily, albeit quietly to avoid being spotted.

Roughly a hundred yards up ahead. The rabbit continues walking along the dirt path to help quicken her trip home, her hand-paws continuing to remain inside her pockets as she walked. She was still thinking about how to answer Thrandeer regarding his proposition. Her eyes were looking down at the ground in thought, unsure of how to answer the clan leader when the time came. Could she become Matt's sheath and stop him from becoming an unrepentant killer? That question kept playing within her mind endlessly, with no answer coming into her mind whatsoever to help her answer. But with that in mind, however, she lets out a sigh before puling her phone out of the right jeans pocket.

“I don't think there's anything I can do…. I'm sorry, Thrandeer, but I don't think I have what it takes to help keep Matt from becoming an unrepentant killer” Jenny thought within her mind before pulling up her phone, the black screen showing the reflection of her face and some of the environment. “I guess its time for me to give him a-” she began in her mind, but stops upon noticing faint movement from the reflection of her phone, stopping dead on her tracks and quickly turning about a hundred-sixty degrees to the right. “Who's there?!” the bunny shouted, her eyes surveying the direction where she saw the moving figures.

Unfortunately for her, she no longer saw the moving figures she saw through the reflection of her smartphone screen. But whether or not that meant they were still there, that was an entirely different story. She knew better than to assume the figures she saw had left the scene, since thanks to her strongly sensitive hearing, she was able to capture the sounds of running footsteps scattering across the suspected region of the woods. While they didn't sound like they were approaching her, the bunny knew she couldn't stick around for long,

“Time to hop on out of here!” Jenny exclaimed within her mind before turning back towards the path and making a dash for it, sprinting as fast as she could away from the suspected region. This time, the sounds of footsteps approaching her from behind began to become gradually louder, which meant, despite managing to remain ahead, they were slowly starting to catch up. The bunny needed to get out of there, and quick! Pressing the button to her phone, she slides her thumb across the unlock slider and pulls up the dial pad. But before she can dial any of the numbers, the phone suddenly dies due to a low battery, much to her surprise. “Damn, I thought I charged my phone last night! Fuck!” the rabbit exclaimed in her thoughts, placing her phone back into her right pants pocket and began focusing her attention on getting the hell out of there.

As the rabbit continues to run, the three predatory males continue to chase their prey with haste. If she had never pulled out her phone and discovered the three through their moving reflection on the screen, they would've gotten the bunny that much sooner. But to them it didn't matter, so long as they got what they've wanted in the end. Then again, they can use some extra exercise anyways. Derrick leans his torso forward a bit as an attempt to increase the speed of his running, which leaning forward helped add more weight to the direction in which he was going. The bunny was indeed fast, he had to admit, but the jaguar was much, MUCH faster!

Right as the feline drew close enough to get the rabbit, that's when he suddenly lunges towards her like a predator going in to kill its prey. Unfortunately for him, Jenny jumps to the left and dodges the male, the jaguar growling angrily upon missing her. Shane attempts to lunge at the bunny, but unfortunately for him, he, too, misses when the rabbit jumps to the right. The rabbit looks back for a moment and couldn't help but let out a few humorous chuckles at the sight of the two predators, seeing them growling in utter failure before turning her attention towards the front of the path. Alas, a meadow comes in view and the rabbit's relieving smile began to form on her face. She was almost out this mess, she can go to a nearby house owner's home to call for help, and alas the rabbit can finally seek shelter…

… or that would've been the case if Marcus didn't lunge at her and successfully catch the bunny like she were the wolf's prey, her body sliding roughly ten feet from where the wolf made his impact. The bunny yelped in pain after being pushed roughly ten feet with her body roughly pressed against the ground, yet Marcus merely grins and continues to glare down towards his successful catch. The bunny had finally been caught, and now it was time to celebrate his victory.

“Looks like the big bad wolf's caught himself a nice, cute bunny bitch”, Marcus growled deviously, licking his lips in delight and watching the rabbit squirming under his grip as an attempt to free herself from his hold. The wolf wraps his large hand-paws around the smaller rabbit, his fingers grabbing a secure hold of her DD-cup breasts while doing so. Jenny's eyes widen quickly upon feeling this and began squirming around his grip a lot quicker as an attempt to free herself from his grip. “Though I must admit for a bunny, you're quite the handful”, the wolf admitted with a tender murr in his voice, moving his fingers around her bunny sized DD tits in a circular motion. Both Derrick and Shane catch up within seconds after the wolf secures his perverted grip around the bunny's squirming body.

“Awesome catch, man!” Derrick exclaimed with a devious tone in his voice, tenderly malicious purring escaping his mouth while beginning to crack his knuckles.

“Looks like we'll be having us some tender rabbit meat tonight”, Shane growled with a vicious smirk on his face, his tongue licking his lips tenderly at the thought of consuming freshly cooked rabbit. But with the wolf raising his left hand-paw upward, using his right to pin the squirming bunny on the ground, Marcus turns to his fellow predators and began to grin maliciously.

“Whoa, hold on a second, boys”, Marcus began with a tender, predatory tone of voice. “I'm just as hungry as the rest for revenge as the rest of you guys are, but why should we rush things with a hot piece of ass like this slut here”, the wolf murred tenderly before grabbing a hold of her tits with one of his large hand-paws, caressing the tit with a circular motion, loud yelps escaping the rabbit's mouth as his sexually assaulting groping continued. Both Derrick and Shane turn towards each other with soft frowns on their faces before grinning widely, their heads turning towards the captured rabbit in the wolf's grip.

“Now that you mention it, that does sound rather exciting” Derrick replied friskily, walking slowly towards the wolf while watching the rabbit trying her best to escape Marcus' grasp, but to no avail.

Jenny's eyes were widened in fear and her pupils were shrunken down to the size of peas in horror at the realization of one thing: she was about to get raped by the three hulking predators. But an idea soon came to the bunny's mind and forcefully sinks her two long front teeth down onto the wolf's hand-paw, making the wolf wince in pain and briefly loosen his grip on her. That was more than enough time for the rabbit to make her escape, jumping off of his hand-paw and attempting to make a run for it. But her luck ran dry when Derrick lunges right towards the bunny and grabbing her by the legs. She tries to crawl away from the feline predator, but to no avail. She was literally being pulled towards him by her right leg.

“You're not getting away from us, bitch”, Derrick growled aggressively at his prey, soon managing to get the female rabbit close enough to grab a strong hold onto her ears. The sounds of belts being loosened and the sounds of zippers being pulled down began to fill her ears. “You're gonna be our fuck toy tonight!” he roared, his left hand-paw moving to her shirt and ripping it off, exposing her torso and the maroon colored lace bra she wore underneath. Licking his lips at the sight of the undergarment. He moves the same hand-paw down to his belt and beginning to remove the buckle securing the strap.

The sounds of clothing being removed has already become unbearable for the rabbit to hear any longer. Her breathing quickened rapidly, and her strengthened her attempts at crawling away from the males. But despite her best attempts, it was no use. Jenny began looking left and right in a state of panic and hoping she could find something she could use to free herself from Derrick's grip. To no avail, she couldn't find anything to use to get herself out of this mess. Tears began to form in her eyes at the realization she can't escape, her eyes snapping shut as the bunny chokes back a couple of sobs. Her heat leans forward for several prolonged seconds, right as Shane and Marcus pull their pants down to their thighs, with only a pair of boxer briefs containing their packages inside. She suddenly tilts her head back with her mouth wide open, with nothing but an extremely loud, shrilling scream escaping her mouth in hopes of someone to come to her aid.

* * *

 

**On the road nearby, a minute ago**

“Great, just great….” was the thought that was currently running inside of Matt's mind while he was driving back home to drop off his belongings, minus his concealed sword. Not even half an hour ago, not only did the fox had to grab make-up work for his fifth, sixth, and seventh period classes, but he also had to deal with both a couple of shitty nurses and an ass hat of a principal. He had gotten a three day out of school suspension as a result of getting into a fight he didn't even start, let alone defend himself. Although fortunate to not be facing any criminal charges, today was definitely not his day.

As the fox continues to drive towards his home, Dimmu Borgir's 'In Sorte Diaboli' was playing through the speakers inside of his car, albeit at a lower volume to now blow his strong sense of hearing out. But honestly, he can use a bit of loud, aggressive music right about now to help settle his nerves. He moves his right hand-paw onto the circular volume control nob, his fingers gripping onto the knob gently and securely. But before he can turn the volume of the extreme metal music any louder, however, his ears perk up to the sound of a distant, loud shrilling scream. Instead of turning the music up louder, he turns the volume completely off and pulls the car over all together. He turns to the left and notices the dirt road up ahead, which was the direction where he heard the shrilling scream. He quickly kills the ignition and listens to the ongoing scream as closely as possible. And almost immediately, he recognizes who it was that was making those loud screams.

“Jenny?!” Matt thought right as he pulls the keys out of the ignition and grabbing the concealed sword of his, stepping out of the car and quickly sprinting towards the source of the sound with an almost god-like speed. Quickly placing the keys in his right cargo pocket, the male looks at the path up ahead and discovers the meadows, seeing the three predators he fought earlier along with the bunny herself. And what he saw made his eyes grow wide with pure shock.

The fox discovered why the bunny had been screaming the entire time, with Derrick having pinning her down on the early soil with his upper body along with his right hand-paw bearing a tight hold on Jenny's ears. He wasn't exactly sure where his left hand-paw was located until he watches the belt being pulled off from his pants. Now that he saw this, the entire event he was witnessing fifty yards away was making complete sense. The three predators were about to rape the bunny they had captured. But one thing was for certain: Matt wasn't gonna allow that to happen, not on his watch!

The fox's eyes narrow with a deathly glare, his fur began sticking upward in an aggressive manner, and he began snarling aggressively with his teeth exposed. Gripping the sheathed, cloth covered weapon in his right hand-paw, the fox lunges towards the jaguar and performs a deadly hook kick on the right side of Derrick's face, surprisingly knocking the hulking feline a good fifteen yards away from Jenny.The bunny rolls onto her back and leans her upper body upward, turning towards her savior with her arms wrapping themselves around the bra covered chest. And her eyes widen at the sight of who her savior was, the one she had met roughly a few weeks ago.

“Matt?!” Jenny exclaimed with pure shock, her eyes shot wide open and her mouth open in a similar manner. The fox turns his head towards her direction briefly before turning back to the jaguar, the fox watching Derrick standing back up onto his feet-paws and rub the right side of his face.

“God dammit, Matt! Who the hell do you think you are trying to interrupt our plan?!” Derrick growled furiously with an aggressive frown on his face. His eyes slightly widen, however, at the sight of Matt's eyes, the black irises completely void in his jade green pupils. And the sight of such eyes legitimately began to terrify him to the core. He wasn't looking at the eyes of Matt Wilde… he was looking at the eyes of an unrepentant killer. And the fox was staring directly at his next victim.

“Leave him to me, Derrick. I've got this prick”, Marcus growled with a devious grin on his face, the wolf starting to sprint directly towards the malicious vulpine.

“Marcus, DON'T!” Derrick shouted loudly as an attempt to warn him, but unfortunately fell on deaf ears. Matt quickly vanishes into thin air and began moving towards Marcus, making the wolf stop dead on his tracks as a response. Everybody began looking for the fox despite hearing the sounds of rapid footsteps around the area. “What?! Where did he-” the wolf tried to say until he felt a hard object hitting him on his stomach, knocking the lupine roughly ten feet into the air unexpectedly. Marcus looks down towards the person who had attacked him, which the fox had done using the cloth covered sheath of his blade. The fox suddenly jumps high up into the air and catches up with the lupine much to everyone's surprise, even Jenny's as well. Nobody expected the fox to jump at such a height to catch up to the wolf.

The vulpine manages to catch up to the wolf in the air within a second before performing a vertical attack with the concealed sheathed sword, knocking the lupine onto the ground with a powerful enough force to break a few of his opponent's ribs. Landing onto his feet-paws as the fox did, he turns his attention towards the German Shepherd nearby, the predatory dog sprinting at the fox in a similar manner to the wolf. Now it was time to take things up a notch! Matt leaps forward and aims the front end of the hidden sheath into the male's left eye socket, a painful howl leaving his muzzle from the sudden attack. The fox looks down towards the black hoodie concealing the handle of his blade and pulls it off, throwing the jacket at Jenny's direction before grabbing the handle of his sword.

“People like you don't deserve to live after trying to rape an innocent woman!!” Matt growled and pulls the sword out of its sheath, performing a diagonal slash attack that slices the German Shepherd's upper body in half from the top of his right shoulder through his left oblique muscle. His body's bloody contents start spewing all over the place and painted some of the greenly grass red, with Shane dying almost immediately from the attack. Quickly landing onto his feet-paws and turning towards the other two predators, the malicious fox began snarling towards them and tightens the grip on his sword. “One down, two to go”, the fox growled and began walking in the direction where Marcus and Derrick were located.

The two predators could not believe what they've just witnessed, their best friend and ally getting slaughtered by the fox like Marcus was butter. How could the fox have so much strength despite his four foot height? Like the two predators, despite having seen him kill once while having been intoxicated, Jenny was still shocked as hell with the ingenuity of his killings. Never before did she see someone hack an opponent cleanly with a katana, and the sight honestly scared her regardless if she was being protected by the fox himself. She couldn't bear the sight anymore and quickly shuts her eyes, bending her legs upward before wrapping her arms around her thighs and burying her face onto her knees. The two males, on the other hand, stand up and look directly at the fox with a mixture of both fury and terror.

“You bastard…. YOU BASTARD!!” Marcus shouted before sprinting at the killer as fast as he could despite his broken ribs. Unfortunately for him, however, Matt quickly stabs the wolf right through his stomach and pulls the blade upward, hacking the wolf from his stomach right through his skull. The body's bloody contents start shooting out of the deadly wound much like water shooting out of a fire hydrant before collapsing onto the ground.

One predator remained, and he was looking upon the fox not out of aggression anymore, but of terror. Pure, fucking terror. He no longer cared about trying to get back at Matt nor having his 'fun' with Jenny. No, he needed to get the hell out of there, and now! Derrick's eyes gaze towards the trail on his right before getting up onto his feet and sprinting away from the scene. But upon making it halfway to the trail, however, the vulpine 'teleports' in front of the jaguar with a sinisterly calm look on his face, his green, iris-less eyes looking directly towards the feline's frightened eyes.

“Where do you think you're going?” Matt growled sinisterly at the jaguar before the feline attempts to turn around and make a run for it. But before he could take a step away from the fox, Matt performs several horizontal and diagonal slash attacks from bottom to top. The bloody contents that were once contained inside were now splattering out of the body, a body in which was severed to many pieces thanks to his blade. And with the third and final predator dead, his job was done.

Now that the three predators were dead, the fox places his left hand-paw inside the corresponding cargo pocket and pullsthe navy blue rag he had on him out. Holding the sword with his right hand-paw, the fox uses the rag to slowly clean both sides of the sword with one swipe. His sword now shined once again after being cleaned from the blood of the three predators, only to place the sword back inside of its sheath much like placing his rag inside of the pocket he pulled it out from moments before.

With his blade cleaned from the blood of the three predators, his eyes now set themselves towards the bunny roughly thirty wards away from his position. The fox notices the bunny still curled up in a ball with her face buried onto her knees as if to shield herself from the bloody sight. He honestly couldn't blame her one bit on that regard, since he's killed all three of them swiftly and having literally hacked one of them to pieces. Walking towards the rabbit as he did, the fox picks up his hoodie on the way and kneels in front of the rabbit, unzipping his hoodie and wrapping it around her shoulders gently.

“Jenny…” Matt began, the black irises returning to his eyes and his jade green pupils looking at the bunny not out of malice, but with a mixture of concern and comfort. Jenny raises her head and reopens her eyes, noticing the fox kneeling in front of her and starts crawling backwards from him. Matt's eyes widen at this before moving forward, his hand-paws gently grabbing a hold of her shoulders in a reassuring manner. “I'm not gonna hurt you”, the fox said with a soothing tone, his jade green eyes staring towards her sapphire blue ones. At first, the rabbit's breathing was panicked and rapid because of the killings. Yet after taking a few moments to look into the fox's comforting, reassuring eyes, her breathing slows down enough to where she was breathing at a more normal, yet slow, pace. “Are you wounded?” he asked with a curiously calm tone in his voice.

“N-no… I'm not hurt”, Jenny answered, her eyes now looking down towards her right and her upper eyelid closing halfway. “Not physically at least…” she added before bending her knees upward and wrapping her arms around her thighs, curling into a ball for the second time after the three predators had attempted to rape her. The fox gently places his gloved right hand-paw under her chin and tilts her head up softly, her eyes moving towards his with surprise. A slight blush formed on her face when he did that, but the fox didn't notice the blush since his eyes were fixed upon hers.

“C'mon. I'll take you home”, Matt said towards the rabbit before standing up onto his feet-paws, offering his left hand-paw to help her up. The rabbit looks towards the hand-paw for a moment before slowly taking it and lifting herself up with his hand-paw.

“Thank you…” Jenny replied softly with nod, grabbing both parts of the hoodie Matt lent her to cover her torso. She manages to pull the zipper up enough to where it passed her cleavage area. Nodding at the sight of this, the fox notices the torn shirt she formerly wore before it got ripped off, picking up the pieces of her previous shirt before placing them in her pocket. If they were to leave, he had to ensure not only he left any evidence behind, but the evidence of Jenny's presence as well. Once all the fragments of her torn shirt were picked up, he places them inside the main pockets of his pants temporarily before turning to the rabbit next to him.

Now it was time for the two to get on out of there, or else the local authorities, clans, Neo-Shinsengumi, or possibly any nearby neighbors in the area may come upon the place in which the bloody assassinations took place. And the last thing Matt needs is a murder charge on his ass along with possibly being killed on sight by the locals or Neo-Shinsengumi. With this in mind, the fox began walking towards the path he came from back to his car, with the rabbit following him from behind. But an idea suddenly pops into Matt's head, acting on that idea by kneeling down on the ground and leaning his upper body forward, his arms raising backwards towards the bunny behind him.

“Hop on my back, Jenny. I'll be faster for us to get out of here if I carried you to my car”, Matt suggested and causing the rabbit to look at him with a slight blush on her face. She didn't expect him to suggest carrying her in a piggy back. Then again, despite the odd suggestion, she nods with understanding and approaches the fox, slipping one leg at a time through the gaps between his muscular arms. Since he did have an unusually fast speed, that could help with fleeing the area as is. Gently wrapping her arms around his neck as she did, albeit securely, the fox quickly stands up and began sprinting away from the grisly scene.

It didn't take long for them to get to his car at the end of the trail, having taken roughly about forty five seconds to get from the assassination site to his vehicle. Unlocking the car as he did, the fox kneels down and sets allows the bunny to step off. The rabbit quickly walks to the other side of the car while Matt enters the driver's seat, quickly texting Iizuka about the incident and asking him to clean the 'mess' up. With the text message sent, the fox pulls up the GPS on his phone and hands it to the rabbit.

“Here, go ahead and place your address in the GPS”, Matt said to the bunny before noticing her turning her head towards him. Her eyes gaze towards his for a moment before looking down at the phone, grabbing it slowly before typing in her address into it. The fox grabs his keys from his cargo pocket and sticks the car key inside the ignition, turning it forward and letting a loud growl escape from the engine. He began driving away from the site and starts surveying the road, making sure no locals or Neo-Shinsengumi were in the area. Fortunately for him, not a single unit was in sight, nothing but the huge pine trees they were passing by with each passing second.

The ride to Jenny's home was rather quiet for the most part, no music being played on the radio nor words escaped their mouths. The GPS device occasionally instructed Matt to turn on the correct roads when he was within a small distance from the said roads, doing so without a problem. Upon stopping at red lights, the fox occasionally turns to check on his passenger, the rabbit sitting on the passenger's seat with her legs bent upward and her arms wrapped around her thighs. Her eyes stare blankly towards the compartment with tears threatening to drip down her face. But none have ran down her cheeks… at least not yet.

Roughly fifteen minutes after fleeing the site, Matt and Jenny arrive at the house where Jenny lives. Upon looking at the house, he was surprised to see the house resembling the ones you can find right by the beach, with the homes themselves being supported on eight to ten foot tall wooden decks. Coincidentally enough, her house was literally a short walk away from lake Erie. The fox pulls up to the driveway directly under the house itself and kills the ignition of his car, pulling the keys out and stepping out of the car.

“We're here”, Matt spoke calmly before pushing his car door shut. The rabbit herself gets out of the car shortly after, although a bit slowly in a hesitant manner. The fox notices this while the rabbit was getting out, soon watching the rabbit stepping out of the car and heading towards the wooden set of stairs on the left side of the house. Walking up the stairs as she did, Matt follows her calmly and locks the door with a press of a button on the key.

Upon making it to the top of the eight to ten foot tall wooden deck, the fox can see the house was a story high and beautifully structured. Pale blue painted the wooden portions of the house while brown bricks can be seen on the columns of the house. The roof, from what the fox can see,appeared to be a dark charcoal or perhaps dark brown. But because of where he was looking at the roof along with the gradually darkening skies, it was hard to tell which color it was. But regardless of that, the house was beautifully constructed and looked like it had been constructed no more than two years ago at least.

The bunny approaches the front door to her house and grabs her keys from her left pocket, grabbing the key to her house and sliding it inside the door's lock on the knob. Turning the key to the left, she turns the knob in the same direction and pushes the door forwards, taking the key out of the lock and allowing both her and the fox to enter the one story home. And the interior of the house made the fox's eyes widen slightly with genuine surprise.

The interior of the house looked entirely clean to the core, not a single scratch, spec of dust, nothing. The cleanliness, while impressive, was not the main reason why the male was genuinely surprised. No. The reason why he was surprised at the interior was how the house was beautifully and artistically decorated it was, the color scheme of the room being various shades and tints of brown. The walls were colored a light tan while the wooden floor contrasted the walls with a brown color three shades darker than the tan color. He noticed the floor mats in the living room being a much lighter, saturated brown color. The ceiling and the edges of the wall around the doors, flooring, and the corners of the walls. The color scheme itself brought a relaxing feeling to the fox himself, which almost made him softly smile. But the color of some of the furniture popped out from the various shades and tints of brown, but bore a much similar meaning nonetheless.

Right near the front door, acerulean blue colored L-shaped couch was spotted on the fox's left side, with a brown coffee table placed in the middle of the living room. Roughly a yard away from the coffee table, a large entertainment center roughly about the same height as the coffee table was seen, yet was a couple feet wider than the table itself. Four drawers were seen on the entertainment center itself, two of them on each side with two shelves being spaced between one another. An Xbox 360 and two controllers for the console occupy the top shelf while several games and movies occupy the bottom shelf. A twenty four inch HDTV was centeredon the top surface of the entertainment center. The entire living room looked like home, and a very small, but genuine smile starts forming on the vulpine's face.

“Your place looks nice, Jenny. The colors go well with each other”, Matt commented, walking into the living room and closing the door behind him, noticing the rabbit taking a seat on the L-shaped couch and curling into a ball. The bunny rests her chin on top of her knees and wraps her arms around her legs, her facial expression being as sad as a funeral attendee. Although no tears were shed, her eyes were on the verge of shedding them at any given moment. Matt approaches the bunny and takes a seat on the couch next to her, his left arm gently wrapping around her shoulders in a comforting hug. The rabbit's body tenses at the moment he did this, but relaxes when she looks up to his jade green eyes with her sapphire blue ones. “Is everything alright…?” the fox asked, the bunny's eyes narrowing slightly in sadness before turning away from him. She didn't know the proper answer to that question… but there was one thing she could say, though.

“Thank you… for taking me home and all”, Jenny began, turning to face the fox's face as she spoke. “It really means a lot to me”, she finished before seeing the fox nod, turning away from him right after and resting her chin onto her knees. The fox was about to say something else when the sound of his phone's ringtone going off, the ringtone being Shadows Fall's 'Casting Shade'. He moves his right hand-paw to his phone case and grabs his ICarrot phone from the case. Pulling it out as he did, he looks at the caller ID and notices 'Thrandeer' on top of the 'Answer' and 'Decline' touchscreen buttons respectively. He hits 'Answer' and places the phone on the right side of his face.

“What's going on, Thrandeer?” Matt asked.

“ _Matt, I need to speak with you at the Penthouse immediately_ ”, Thrandeer answered over the phone, the rabbit's eyes briefly turning to face Matt after hearing Thrandeer's voice.

“What about?” Matt asked again, thoughts about the clan already hearing about the killings right as they spoke, which honestly wasn't surprising since he had texted Iizuka about the killings earlier.

“ _You know what I mean, Matt_ ”, Thrandeer answered over the phone. And despite the calm tone he was bearing, something told the fox that the clan leader's expression might say otherwise. “ _I expect to see you within the hour_ ”, and with those last words, the buck hangs up and the line goes dead, the fox placing his phone back into his case before standing up. However, he turns to face the bunny before placing his left hand-paw onto her right shoulder, the rabbit tilting her head upwards to look at him curiously.

“I gotta get going, Jenny. The clan leader's needing me tonight”, Matt spoke towards the bunny calmly before removing his hand-paw from her shoulder and placing it onto the top portion of his sword's sheath. “I'll call you tonight and check in with you, okay?” he added reassuringly, the rabbit's eyes gazing at his for a second before lowering her head, nodding upon hearing those words.

As Matt began to depart from the house slowly, the rabbit gently tightens her hold around her legs, the underside of her jaw gently pressing against her knees harder from her actions. She started shaking slightly in fear and her eyes start to form tears which threaten to stream down her face at any moment. Her eyes shift towards the moving fox, and her heart began pounding harder inside of her chest. She was afraid, but not of him, however, but for some other reason she couldn't comprehend. The frightened bunny watches the male grab a hold of the doorknob and twisting it to the right. That's when she acted right then and there, the female bunny jumping from her spot and dashing towards the fox, suddenly wrapping her arms around the male's waist. The fox releases his grip on the knob and turns to face the bunny holding his waist tightly, noticing her face buried into his shirt with sobs escaping her muzzle.

“Please don't go! I don't wanna be alone!” Jenny cried, tears now streaming down her face as sobs continue to escape her mouth, her shoulders shifting up and down in correlation with every other sob. “I don't feel safe, not even in my own home!” the rabbit continued, her sobs getting gradually heavier as tears continue to stream down her face, some of which stain the fox's shirt. Matt's eyes widen a bit with surprise, not expecting Jenny to dash towards him and begging him not to leave. Jenny's arms tighten gently around his waist to make her need for his company more apparent. “Please don't go! Please…!” she begged, Matt's eyes slightly narrowing towards her in a compassionate manner.

“Jenny…” Matt thought before slowly wrapping his arms around her torso, his left hand-paw gently stroking the back of her head comfortingly. He held her in his arms for at least another several minutes, gently holding the bunny in his arms and even rocking her left and right occasionally. Unfortunately a text message notification sought the end to that, the male moving his hand-paws from the rabbit and the right grabbing his phone out of its case. Quickly sliding his thumb over the slider, he reads the message and discovers it was Katagai who sent the message.

“ _Get to the Penthouse at the Inn, immediately!_ _Thrandeer really needs to speak with you about the 'mess' you've made!_ ” As soon as the fox read Katagai's message, he shrugs and places his phone back into the case, his eyes looking down towards Jenny momentarily before closing them.

“Thrandeer's waiting for me at the Penthouse. I'm sorry, Jenny… but it looks like I can't stick around”, Matt said with an apologetic tone before reopening his eyes, looking down to his right as the bunny tilts her head upward towards him. Her sapphire eyes look directly at Matt's face, which her eyes were now puffy and red from all the crying she did for the past several minutes. Her breathing began quickening slightly in a panicked, betrayed state, and her heart was beating inside of her chest. The fox's eyes widen a bit as soon as the bunny starts taking a few steps back from him, yet a suggestion came to his mind all of the sudden, one that'll gladly suit him and the bunny. “But… you're more than welcome to tag along if you want me to keep you company”, he said right after the suggestion popped into his mind, which the bunny began to softly smile at him in relief before suddenly wrapping her arms around his waist tightly.

“Matt! Thank you, thank you!”, Jenny replied with relief in her voice, shaking her face gently against his chiseled abs and causing the fox to blush softly at this. But before he can leave, there is one more thing that's needed to be taken care of.

“Its not a problem. Though do you happen to have any clean clothes to change into?” Matt asked with a calmer tone of voice, Jenny releasing her grip around the fox as she heard him.

“Well, I do. But what about Thrandeer?” Jenny asked, making the fox close his eyes and softly smirk towards the bunny.

“A few minutes ain't gonna kill him”, Matt replied with a reassuring tone in his voice before reopening his eyes. “You go on ahead and change into something cleaner real quick, and I'll wait here for you. Sound good?” he suggested, placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets as the rabbit nods a couple times towards him. She turns around and began walking to her bedroom door, which was located just a few yards to the left.

As the bunny opens her bedroom door and closes it behind her, the fox grabs his phone and began to notify the clan leader regarding his status as of now. The fox made sure to let the clan leader know he would be bringing Jenny with her for reasons he would explain when he got there. By the time he pressed the send button, his ears flicker to the sound of her bedroom door opening, the rabbit stepping out of the bedroom in nothing but a fresh pair of clothing. And holy hell was it a wonderful sight to witness.

The clothing she wore genuinely caught the vulpine's interest, and was something he never exactly expected her to wear. A red off shoulder top covered her torso tightly to the point where the top shaped her DD-cup breasts noticeably, with long sleeves covering her arms from the breast line down. Her skintight black leather pants covered her waist down to the bottom of the ankles, the rise of her pants being low enough to show a bit of her toned stomach. The leg openings of per pants were tucked into her black open toe boots, which the boots themselves were a bit taller than ankle high boots. If one word could describe how she looked, _**stunning**_ would be that word. Matt couldn't help but blush at the sight before snapping his attention towards a jacket in her possession.

“Here, this belongs to you”, Jenny said to the fox, the male looking at his hoodie for a moment before gently grabbing it, placing it over his left should and held it with the corresponding hand-paw. “I appreciate you lending it to me”, she added, the fox giving a soft nod to her before turning towards the door.

“C'mon, lets get going”, Matt suggested before grabbing the doorknob and twisting it to the left, opening the door and holding it open for the female. The rabbit nods towards the fox with a thankful gesture before walking out of the house, with Matt following behind. Matt locks the doorknob and closes the door behind him, both of them heading downstairs and towards the fox's car below. Grabbing his keys from his pocket and pressing the unlock button on the key, the fox opens the driver's side door while the bunny opens the passenger's side door. Now was the time to get going! The fox buckles himself in and places the ignition into the slot, the bunny doing the same as the fox turns the key forward as a loud roar of the engine signaling its ready for use. Pulling out of the driveway and turning towards the right, the two began driving towards the destination with haste, the sounds of tires occupying the silence of the environment around them.


	10. An Assassin's Night Off

_ **An Assassin's Night Off** _

  


Conversations and various equipment being set up around the entertainment parts of the Shopping District can be heard. Crates full of vegetation and various fruits were set down around the more business based parts of the same district, booths being set up around the crates as they prepare for the upcoming festival that was to happen. Entertainers, Musicians, Business-mammals, local farmers, local residents, and even the occasional pilgrim began to gather around the district like concert goers arriving to a massive arena. The district may have been packed, but it wasn't usually packed in a caliber as high as this. In such cases, this meant only one thing: A festival was going on, and one festival in particular was in the process of being set up for later tonight.

The Kawasabus Harvest Festival was a festival that occurred during the middle of October to celebrate the Japanese-themed community's harvest for this year. The harvest this year was surprisingly much larger than all of the other harvests that occurred in the previous years before this one, since rainy weather has been occurring throughout most of spring and summer combined. Although the largest harvest by far, the number of crops weren't the only things that increased this year.

Local authorities and various groups of the Neo-Shogunate began to gather around numerous parts of the district l in large numbers. In fact, at the Neo-Shinsengumi Headquarters a few blocks away from the shopping district, many members, along with allied clans, gather within the building in large groups, some of which enter the training grounds in order to prepare for any possible alterations tonight. As for some of the others, they spread themselves around the three story building to chat with the others regarding tonight or to, at the very least, check up on them.

Outside, a small group of Neo-Shinsengumi were gathered near the side entrance of the building. The group of three consisted of Saito Hajime, Toshizo Hijikata, and Okita Soji. Both the timber and arctic wolves were standing on their feet-paws while the folf was sitting on one of the stair steps. Saito was an arctic wolf with long, raven black hair tied back with a similarly colored ponytail, with only four forelock bangs ticking out in a similar to cockroach antennae. Okita was a folf bearing light gray and white fur, with black fur on the forearms and legs, along with brown mostly tied back hair. As for Hijikata, however, he was brown, gray, and white furred timber wolf bearing raven black hair like Saito's, yet bore a similar hairdo like Okita's. Hijikata looks towards the leaders of both the first and third factions with a stern look on his face, Okita being leader of the first and Saito being leader of the third.

“Miyabe and the Orimaku Clan are in Kawasabus. The Ishin-Mirkwood Clan are amassing provisions”, Hijikata began, the faint sounds of other Neo-Shinsengumi and some members of allied clans training inside the training grounds being heard from the windows nearby. “The man we executed confessed there will be a large number of extremists coming into town tonight. The number of weapons we found in the downtown area were too small to cause much trouble, but we believe they may have another base of operations somewhere in town”, the timber wolf claimed calmly. “I'll organize an inspection of the neo-kiheitai tonight. There we'll find our meeting”, he concluded before Saito closes his eyes in a calm, stern manner.

“I sense a conspiracy”, Saito claimed, with the timber wolf giving a nod towards the arctic wolf in response.

“Most definitely! I sense the Ishin-Mirkwood clan is planning something”, Hijikata replied before Okita suddenly stands onto his feet-paws and turns his attention towards Saito.

“Wait, isn't Thrandeer Katzuma the leader of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan?” Okita asked with a curious tone in his voice.

“Yes”, Saito answered before he and Okita turn their attention towards the timber wolf.

“I'll go ahead and meet with Kondo Isami”, Hijikata said to the two leaders before turning away from them and began walking away from the building itself. The wolf's eyes turn to face the arctic wolf next to him after a thought began to course his mind regarding the timber wolf himself.

“Saito, how much assistance can we expect from Mr. Hijikata?” Okita asked with a curious tone of voice.

“For a serious situation such as this, he's willing to call on the Neo-Shinsengumi”, Saito answered, the door opening almost as soon as he finished speaking, the mammal walking out of the building and heading away from headquarters.

“Do you… think the assassin will attend this meeting?” Okita asked with a similar tone as before, yet with a very small hint of nervousness in it. Saito merely crosses his arms and continues to look at the same direction where Hijikata went.

“It's doubtful”, Saito answered almost bluntly. “Assassins are generally kept far from the inner workings of the clan. If they were to appear, what would you be prepared to do about it, Okita?” the wolf asked, the folf turning towards his direction after hearing the question.

“I would do what I was trained to do, of course”, Okita answered, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them a few seconds later. “I am a tenshin rishin after all”, the folf added before turning his head towards the right, facing the arctic wolf nearby. “What would you do?” he asked, noticing the wolf closing his eyes and letting out a slight chuckle.

“A stupid question, fool”, Saito answered before reopening his eyes and forming a soft, firm frown on his face. “The Kawasabus Harvest Festival has begun, and the town will be filled with residents, farmers, pilgrims, and various other travelers. It's the perfect time for a disturbance. The terror of this night is inescapable”, he added before turning to face his fellow faction leader. “Lets go check on the other Neo-Shinsengumi members and make sure they are properly trained for tonight”, he suggested, the folf giving an understanding nod before the wolf starts walking to the side entrance, pulling the doors open and heading inside. Okita quickly follows shortly after and heads inside, following Saito to check with the other members and to ensure they are ready for tonight. Whatever it was they were planning tonight, no one but the Neo-Shinsengumi knew….

* * *

 

_**On the Road** _

The roads, for the most part, were pretty much quiet throughout the countryside of Kawasabus, Ohio, with nothing but the howls of the wind and the rustling of leaves filling the quiet vacancy of sounds. Every once in a while, tires and running motors would add to the vacancy of sound as well. And in this particular case, Matt's car would be the one to add to the sound vacancy.

Speaking of Matt's car, both Matt Wilde and Jenny Bunni were currently driving through the countryside roads in order to get to the Kawasabus Shrine Inn near the business side of the shopping district. Matt had gotten a call from Thrandeer and a text message from Katagai roughly several minutes ago, requesting the fox to get to the hotel regarding a particular 'mess' he made. He was originally gonna come alone, but upon hearing the pleas of a saddened bunny, after nearly getting raped by the three predators Matt had killed, he invited the rabbit to come along with him to keep her company. Even if he was keeping her company, however, he knew the rabbit had herself curled into a ball, her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. Can he blame her? Definitely not.

The two mammals pull up to an X-shaped crossroad right as the light signal turns red, the fox pressing the breaks gently to come to a slow stop. He turns towards Jenny to check up on her, a saddened look still remaining on her face.

“You alright, Jenny?” Matt asked, snapping the rabbit out of her trance before turning to face the fox. However, she merely nods before turning away from him.

“I guess so…” Jenny answered softly following a soft sigh escaping her mouth. It wasn't as bad as it was when they were at her house, but that didn't mean the event didn't affect her in anyway, because it still did a bit. Perhaps the fox could think of something to help lighten the mood or at least keep her mind off of what happened? Now that the vulpine thought about it, he knew exactly what to talk about, and it was time to keep his end of the promise he made to her.

“Jenny, you remember the promise I made you a couple weeks back?” Matt asked, snapping Jenny out of her trance again before giving a nod to him.

“Yeah, I remember”, Jenny recalled, moving her feet-paws off of the seat and placing them onto the floorboard.

“Alright, its about time I fulfilled the promise I gave you”, Matt replied before turning towards the rabbit with a calm look on his face, the same look that can be considered his signature expression. “What would you like to know?” he asked the rabbit, the bunny's eyes widening softly upon recognizing what he meant. Her eyelids lower a bit and turns away from him, unsure of what to ask about his occupation. But one common question was enough to start any subject off.

“Well…” Jenny began, pausing only for a moment to turn towards the fox. “How long have you've been working with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan?” she asked with a softly curious tone in her voice. The fox nods regarding the question before turning towards the front, the light turning green and causing the fox to press on the gas right after noticing.

“I've joined the clan since December 15th, 2005, several days after I left my master, Hiko Seijuro, to try and help the innocents here”, Matt answered, his eyes focusing on the road ahead of him as he spoke. Jenny's eyes remain fixed upon the fox next to her before briefly looking away to think of another question to ask. “Though I didn't realize the matters here were more focused on political matters with the Neo-Shogunate and all, instead of ruthless mammal slaughter like I had originally thought…”

“I see”, Jenny replied before another question about his past pops into her head, her eyes fixing themselves towards Matt. “And have you been assassinating people since you joined?”

“Not exactly”, Matt answered. “Although I joined in December of 2005, I didn't get involved with the assassination business until I made my first kill in July of 2006”, the fox explained calmly, taking a right on another road and passes a sign saying 'Shopping District, about 40 miles' in the process. There was no doubt they would be there within the next twenty to thirty minutes depending on how fast he drove and assuming there wouldn't be any traffic on the way. Keeping this in mind, Jenny knew she can ask the questions she wanted to ask him.

“How many have you killed since you first started?” Jenny asked, now curious and slightly frightened at the thought of how many he might've killed to this point in time. Seconds after she asked, the fox presses the brakes to the car upon arriving to a red light and slightly turns his head towards her, his jade green eyes gazing directly towards the rabbit next to him. He faces the front a second later, facing the front after discovering the light just turned green.

“I can't say for sure on how many I've killed at this point”, Matt answered calmly before letting a soft sigh escape his muzzle, his eyes remaining focused on the road ahead of him. “But if I were to guess, I'd have to say I've assassinated over three hundred fifty mammals”, he added. As soon as the number of assassinations was said, her eyes widen with shock from how many he's killed.

“Over three hundred fifty assassinations?!” Jenny exclaimed with a shocked tone, not only from the number of how many mammals he killed, but with a realization that suddenly dawned inside of her head. “Then you're Battousai the Animal Slayer?!”, she exclaimed a second time, the vulpine giving a calm nod in response.

“Yes”, Matt answered, approaching a Y-shaped junction up ahead and takes a left, the direction in which would lead them to the shopping district. Jenny was starting to get a bit uncomfortable and almost terrified after having asked him such questions about his occupation, especially after realizing who he actually was. She turns away from him as her body began to shake a bit out of fear. But her fears and discomfort fade calmly when she felt Matt place his right hand-paw on her left shoulder, causing the bunny to turn towards him with a curious expression on her face. “Is everything alright, Jenny?” he asked, gently pulling over on the right side of the road and placing the car to a stop, turning his head towards the rabbit and his eyes gazing towards hers. At first, she didn't know how to answer, being uncomfortable and slightly frightened about realizing he was the Battousai. But after looking into his eyes, along with the calmly concerned, sincere tone of voice he carried, her fears and discomfort within an instant.

“Yeah, I'm alright… just a bit more surprised than usual is all”, Jenny answered with a nod, which honestly was true. She knew he had killed before, but never expecting him to having killed such a high number of people along with being the Battousai as well. Matt turns his attention towards the road ahead of him and began to pull out, but the rabbit places her left hand-paw onto his his right and stops him from what he was doing, turning to face her with a curious expression. “Let me see your scar”, she said to him, the fox cocking a slightly curious brow towards her, but nonetheless nods and turns his head to the right a bit. The bunny examines the scar for a moment before moving her right hand-paw towards it, her right index and middle fingers moving down parallel to the slash mark on his face. “Who gave you this?” she asked, moving her right hand-paw back and leaning back against the chair. Matt turns back to face the road and continues driving towards their destination.

“John Bellwether”, Matt answered, which Jenny's eyes widen a bit towards the fox as soon as the name was mentioned.

“Governor of Ohio's Neo-Shogunate party and Founder/CEO of Bellwether Enterprises?” Jenny asked, the fox giving her a nod in response.

“Yes… just before I assassinated him for his political corruption”, Matt answered, the bunny now looking at him with a shocked look on her face. She now knew he was the one who killed Ohio's Governor along with the CEO/Founder of Bellwether Enterprises. The rabbit didn't want to press the matter any longer, but there was one more question she wanted to ask the fox.

“Matt, have you… have you ever thought about quitting the assassination business?” Jenny asked with a curious, slightly concerned tone of voice.

“Many times, actually”, Matt answered calmly. “For about a year now, I've been debating on retiring from the business and try to live a peaceful life…. Yet something told me my swordsmanship is still needed. I can't say on why just yet… its just an odd feeling I have”, he explained following a soft sigh. “Jenny, I know everything I've just told you must've been shocking to hear, and I have a feeling you're probably scared of me. I don't blame you whatsoever”, he said calmly, with the rabbit turning away from the fox and looking down towards the floorboard with her right hand-paw placed over her chest.

“I am a bit frightened by hearing all of this, I won't lie to you there”, Jenny admitted, her eyes closing halfway for a prolonged moment before turning to face the vulpine. “But I'm glad you told me everything, Matt, and for saving me. I'm really am”, she added, a soft, hardly noticeable smile forming on her face. “Thanks for keeping your promise… and for keeping me company”, she finished, the fox giving her a nod before softly smiling, which was hardly noticeable.

“Its not a problem, Jenny. I look out for my friends and allied assassins as often as I can”, Matt replied, pulling up to a red light and gently pressing on the brakes, stopping at the cross walk and turning towards Jenny. “I'm glad you came along as well. Its not often I'm around the company of other classmates as well, especially with someone I can consider a close friend”, he added, the bunny's ears perking up upon hearing his words. Did he literally consider her as a close friend to him? The light turns green moments later, the bunny turning to face the fox for a moment before turning away from him with a soft, hardly noticeable blush forming on her face.

The rest of the drive there was relatively quiet, with the exception of rock and metal music being played on the radio. The closer the two got to the shopping district, the heavier the traffic became. At first, it was manageable, but once they arrive to the shopping district itself, the two mammals notice the heavy traffic up ahead with widened eyes. Cars and various other vehicles were lined up in front of each other, packed against each other almost like a crowded line at an amusement park. God, this was definitely not Matt's day at all….

Hell, although traffic was moving gradually, the fox texts Thrandeer they would most likely be much later than expected due to traffic. But now that Matt thought about it, hey knew the reason why the shopping district would be packed right now. The Kawasabus Harvest Festival! How could he have forgotten such a thing?

Fortunately for him, he manages to spot an unoccupied street a block ahead, which he can use to take a right on to get to the Inn a lot quicker. It took roughly about five minutes to get to the end of the block, but the wait was well worth it. He takes a right on the unoccupied street and quickly drives towards the parking garage roughly two blocks away from the heavily traffic infested roads, which was practically like a damn parking lot due to the others hardly moving. Since that seemed to be the case, they were most likely heading towards the massive field to make preparations for the concert venue, food and entertainment booths.

Entering the parking lot as they did, the fox drives to one of the available spots on the first floor of the three story parking garage before killing the ignition to the car. Both he and Jenny step out of the car and began walking towards the hotel about a block away from the hotel, the fox locking his car with the press of a button. Matt grabs his phone a couple minutes later and sends a text message to Thrandeer, letting him know that he and Jenny had arrived to the district and were approaching the front doors of the hotel.

They pass through the front doors of the hotel and start making their way directly towards the elevator hastily, waving towards Amaya on the way before pressing the up button on the elevator. The doors open a second later and allows the two to enter quickly, pressing on the button leading to the fourth floor, the floor where Thrandeer's penthouse was located. The doors close and the elevator ascends to the fourth floor above, taking only about five seconds to get to the floor they needed to go to. The doors open and the two mammals walk out of there, turning to the left and heading towards the doors leading to Thrandeer's penthouse. But as they drew closer, the two notice Iizuka approaching them with his hand-paws inside of his hakama pants pockets.

“Not like you to be late, Matt”, but its better late than never I suppose, Iizuka began, a soft shrug escaping the fox's muzzle. “Thrandeer's not in the best of moods after that 'mess' you've made in the woods earlier”.

“That doesn't surprise me, but thanks for the heads up”, Matt replied before walking away from the tanuki, wrapping his right arm around Jenny's waist gently. It wasn't out of affection like a boyfriend would with his girlfriend, but that of protection a male friend would provide for a female friend. Iizuka heads for the elevator to continue about with his business, while both Matt and Jenny enter the sanctuary of Thrandeer himself, preparing themselves for the meeting that was about to come.

As soon as they entered, the two mammals notice both Katagai standing behind the couch Thrandeer was sitting on, both of which were looking directly at the two. And based on the cold expressions they bore, **NONE** of them were happy about Matt's actions, not one bit! The fox had already expected them to bear such looks as it is, but as for the level where the upcoming conversation would lead, they were about to find out.

“Have a seat”, Thrandeer gestured, his hand-paws moving towards the sofa on the other side of the coffee table. Seems to be the calm before the storm, both Matt and Jenny thought, but both knew it wouldn't last much longer. The fox and rabbit walk to the other couch and climb onto it, both of them taking a seat on the leather cushions and looking directly at the buck sitting on the other couch. “I'm sure you know why you're here, Matt” he said to the fox with a calm tone, a dark frown forming on his face.

“Yeah…” Matt replied calmly with a nod. “Now then, shall I begin explaining what happened, or-”

“Dammit, Matt!!” Thrandeer growled angrily while simultaneously slamming his left fist onto the table. “Do you realize how much trouble you've caused after that little, no, big 'mess' you've MADE?!” the deer growled with the same tone, leaning his torso towards the fox as he spoke. Although Jenny was leaning back against the couch when Thrandeer was leaning forward towards Matt with a pair of wide eyes, the fox remained unfazed by the clan leader's angered behavior.

“I'm well aware of that, Thrandeer”, Matt replied calmly, crossing his arms and giving the buck a calm glare. “But if those pricks didn't try raping Jenny over here, none of this would've-”

“THAT DOESN'T MATTER, GOD DAMMIT!! DON'T YOU REALIZE THE SEVERITY OF THE SITUATION YOU'VE CAUSED BY SINGLE HANDEDLY KILLING THOSE TEENAGERS?!” Thrandeer shouted from the top of his lungs, his eyes open wide and furrowed towards the fox in front of him. Matt wasn't surprised the meeting grew to a heated level like this, but he wasn't gonna take any of his shit right now, especially with after what happened earlier. The fox quickly stands up from his seat and looks directly towards the deer in front of him with a frown on his face.

“I told you I'm well aware of how much trouble I've caused, Thrandeer! But do you think I was gonna stand by and let those sick fucks have their fun with her like that?! I DON'T THINK SO!!” Matt shouted almost defiantly from the top of his lungs.

“Don't you DARE speak to Thrandeer like that, you mutt, or you will be dealt with by my blade accordingly!” Katagai growled furiously in response to the fox's aggression and points his right finger towards the fox accusingly.

“Oh yeah? You're more than welcome to try it, buddy! I'll put you in the fucking ground before you draw your GOD DAMN SWORD!” Matt exclaimed, grabbing a hold of his own sword and began to pull it out, with the large bear grabbing his own and preparing to pull his own blade out. However, Thrandeer steps in front of the bear much like Jenny grabs a hold of Matt's sheathed sword, making the fox turn towards her in response. His furious expression immediately softens at the sight of Jenny's terrified expression, the rabbit shaking her he head pleadingly with tears threatening to drip down her face at any moment.

Matt's eyes widen a bit from seeing her pleading expression, especially with seeing her eyes watering with tears preparing to stream down her face. The fox closes his eyes and nods softly, sitting back down onto the couch to calm himself down. Thrandeer and Katagai turn to Jenny and notice this quickly, the bear backing down immediately and the deer closing his eyes, taking slow, deep breaths through his nose as an attempt to calm himself down. It took a good twenty seconds for the buck to calm himself down before reopening his eyes and fixing them towards the fox.

“Look, I understand you were trying to do the right thing by saving Jenny from those predators, but the last thing we need right now is the local authorities or the Neo-Shogunate groups on our asses, especially after the murders you've just single handedly committed”, Thrandeer claimed before taking a seat on the couch he sat on, placing his hand-paws onto his lap. “Now would one of you tell me what happened that led to this alteration?” he asked calmly despite still being furious about the incident happening. Matt was about to speak, but the bunny places her right hand-paw onto his left shoulder and nods at him, her eyes soon fixing themselves towards the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader.

“Thrandeer, maybe its better if I explained the situation”, Jenny began with a much calmer tone of voice, pausing momentarily in order to use her left forearm to gently wife her watery eyes dry.

“Very well”, Thrandeer replied with an understanding nod, getting the impression that she may possibly receive more in-depth information from the bunny herself. “Go ahead”.

“This whole mess started when Matt was trying to approach me during lunch hour, around the time when Shane, Derrick, and Marcus attacked him out of nowhere”, Jenny began, trying her best to recall the events that had transpired with as much detail as possible. “I tried to break up the fight by stepping in front of Matt, but one of the predators tried to attack me with the use of their claws. Fortunately, Matt had pulled me back before the fight began to progress at an unexpected level”, she continued following a soft sigh escaping her lips. “Both parties took a few blows, but the fight ended once our Principal came into the student lounging area with a few police officers arriving shortly after the alteration had ended. Matt got off a bit easier than the three predators who started the alteration, which those three had been arrested by the police sometime after hearing the accounts”, the bunny claimed.

“And these were the same mammals he's killed?” Thrandeer asked.

“Yes, but there's more to the story”, Jenny replied. “Sometime after I got out of school, I chose to walk home instead of taking the bus home, because I didn't want to deal with a bunch of other rowdy students on the bus”, she claimed. “Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of the three predators following me until I tried to take a shortcut home. But to try and keep it short, I tried running from them, even fighting back as best I could… but then…” the rabbit tried to continue, but telling the story began to get harder for her to tell with each detail she tried to recall. Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes, threatening to drip down the sides of her cheeks at any moment. But with a raised hand-paw from the deer, along with an understanding nod, she closes her mouth and rubs her left forearm over her eyes gently.

“You needn't tell us anymore, Jenny. We pretty much know the rest”, Thrandeer replied with a soft frown on his face, though the frown was directed towards Matt himself.

“Thank you”, Jenny responded with a thankful tone, albeit calmly. “But, there is one thing I do wanna say about all of this”, she began, with all three men turning towards the bunny with calm looks on their face, Thrandeer's frown having being replaced with a curious expression. “Regardless to the deadly caliber of Matt's swordsmanship and how he handled the situation, if it wasn't for him showing up when he did, then without a doubt I would've been violated or possibly killed by those three”, the rabbit finished before turning towards Matt, his eyes fixed upon hers and a slight, faintly noticeable blush forming on his face. “Thank you again, Matt”, she thanked the fox, making him turn his head towards the right a bit and rub the back of it with the corresponding hand-paw.

“Don't worry about it, Jenny. I'm just glad I heard your cries while I was driving”, Matt replied, both Katagai and Thrandeer watching the two converse with one another with calm looks on their face. While Katagai was still pissed towards the fox, Thrandeer wasn't as pissed as he was moments before. Though now that the topic of the three deaths had concluded, that did remind the fox about something and quickly turns to face the clan leader. “Though speaking of the three deaths, are there any other assignments for me, Thrandeer?” the fox asked, his tone being curious and moving his right hand-paw inside of his pants pocket. The deer lets out a soft chuckle before closing his eyes, moving his head left and right a couple of times before replying.

“Take the night off, Matt”, Thrandeer replied calmly before reopening his eyes. “You've done plenty of work for the clan over the past few years without taking a break, not to mention the best thing you can do right now is try and lay low for a few days after the unexpected 'mess' you've created”, the deer claimed, leaning back against the sofa before forming a soft smirk on his face. “Plus, I think it would be a good idea for you to take the bunny out on a date and give her a good time”, and as soon as the fox heard that comment, his eyes widen with unexpected surprise along with a furious, highly noticeable blush forming on his face.

“Thrandeer!!” Matt yelled with an embarrassed tone of voice, not having expected the clan leader to suggest such a thing. Jenny was practically silent about the whole thing, though like Matt, she was blushing furiously at the suggestion. Though despite not expecting it, a night out did seem rather nice at least after dealing with a series of unexpected, repulsive events.

“Don't be so sensitive, Matt. But I do advise you to get out of your blood stained clothes before taking your girl out anywhere”, Thrandeer replied, the fox looking down towards his clothes before shrugging softly. Standing up as he did, his eyes remaining focused towards the fox and rabbit. “Meeting dismissed”, and with this, the fox and rabbit nod with understanding before they, too, stand up off the couch and walk towards the sliding door. But right as Matt opens the door, the buck takes a step forward and looks directly towards the bunny below. “Jenny”, he said before noticing the bunny turning to face him with a curious look at first. However, she smiles softly before giving him a nod, understanding what he was referring to.

Matt opens the door and turns to face both Jenny and Thrandeer with a curious expression. When he did that, Jenny turns to face him and wraps her arms around his right arm. The fox nods and leads the rabbit out of the room, the bunny closing the sliding door behind them as they left.

“I'm counting on you, Jenny”, Thrandeer thought before turning away from the door, focusing his attention to the other matters at hand. “Now I must contact the others and let them know the meeting will be taking place at the Koromachi Bar on the other side of town tonight”, the buck thought before taking a seat on the couch and grabbing his phone from the coffee table. “I've done everything I've could to stop Miyabe from reeking further havoc across Kawasabus, but it seems our ties have been cut. Now we must make plans to stop this madness before everything goes straight to hell”, the deer thought again before typing up the message regarding the meeting, telling the other members where it was to take place and time in which it would occur. With the press of a button, the message gets sent to all of the clan members immediately and informing them of the location. The survival of the clan now rests in the hands of fate…

* * *

 

_**Matt's residence, About an hour later** _

Pure, relaxing bliss was what the fox was currently feeling inside of the shower stall inside of his bathroom, feeling the hot sprinkles of water hitting most parts of his body. His slim, but well muscular built body relaxed heavily at the sensation, a sigh of relief exiting the fox's body contently as he continues to shower. His mind was clear of everything that had occurred throughout the day, no thoughts of the alteration, the deadly assassination he committed, the close alteration inside the penthouse, just pure, relaxation. After he and Jenny left the Kawasabus Shrine Inn about an hour ago, Matt drove to his residence with Jenny to get himself cleaned up. Besides, last thing he needs is to be seen in public wearing clothes stained with the blood of the three predators he killed earlier today. Once he had arrived to his place with Jenny, the first thing he did was headed straight to the shower with a towel in hand.

About twenty minutes after he got in the shower, the fox turns the hot water off and shakes his body rapidly, spraying most of the water onto the glass walls of the shower stall. With his fur much drier than it was seconds before, he steps out of the stall and grabs his towel from the rack, using it to rapidly dry off his fur from head to toe. The fox wraps the same towel around his waist in a low rise before walking towards the sink, grabbing his fur dryer and switching it on at a medium setting. Holding it with his left hand-paw as he did, the fox began drying the right side of the body starting with his right arm and slowly working his way down.

While Matt was drying himself off thoroughly with the fur dryer, Jenny was currently sitting on the couch browsing through the channels on his HDTV, seeing what in all was on at this time. By far, nothing of interest was airing on TV, particularly on channels like CBS, AMC, MTV, or even the Food Network. With a bored shrug, she turns the channel to the FOX Network places her thumb on the power button on the remote and aims it towards the TV. She was about to turn the TV off… that is until the breaking news suddenly came on with a shocking news report, one she knew was inevitable to happen.

“ _We interrupt this news report to bring you our top story for tonight_ ”, The male news anchor, a cross fox well within his forties, said before turning towards the female cheetah next to him, whom was roughly somewhere within her late twenties to early thirties. “ _Anne_ ”.

“ _Thank you, Tim_ ”, Anne, the female news reporter, replied before turning towards the camera filming them, to the audience members who are watching. “A _round 3:45 pm today, three missing mammals reports_ _were filed for e_ _ighteen year old Derrick Mathias,_ _s_ _eventeen year old Marcus Howling, and_ _seventeen year old_ _Shane Shepherdson._ _They were reported missing sometime after having been released from the Kawasabus Police Department after a school alteration with another_ _unidentified_ _student_ ”, she reported, the bunny now watching with a mixture of curiosity and unexpected shock as the faces of the missing mammals appear on the left side of the TV. “W _e are currently unsure of their current whereabouts,_ _but_ _it is believed they may have ran away from home_ _after having been released_ _or were kidnapped by an unknown organization._ _Although unsure of the organization, it is possible_ _one of the samurai extremist_ _groups might've been involved in their disappearances_ ”, the cheetah claimed, the faces of the missing mammals disappearing before centering the camera towards the cheetah. “ _We will bring you more once we-_ ” and those were the last words Anne spoke before the rabbit turns the TV off at the sound of the bathroom door opening, her attention towards the direction where the bathroom was located, And what she saw was much more surprising than the news report she heard.

The rabbit saw the fox exiting the shower in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, obviously having forgotten to bring clothes with him when he showered. She obviously knew Matt had a good amount of muscle definition on his body, but she didn't expect him to have a muscular built almost similar to a natural bodybuilder. And holy hell, did he look good with such a body, his abs being heavily chiseled much like the definition of his arms and chest. While the size of his muscles were just a bit smaller than a natural bodybuilder's own, they were just as defined thanks to the fox only having about five to six percent body fat on him. Now that she saw how well sculpted his body was, despite having a slightly thick amount of fur on his body, her face was practically burning up heavily to the point where her face reddened rather noticeably.

Matt grabs a hold of the sliding door handle and pulls it to the right, preparing to enter his room with the intention to get himself a clean pair of clothes. He was about to enter his bedroom, but stopped upon noticing the bunny looking directly at him with her face flustered rather heavily.

“Is everything alright, Jen?” Matt asked, snapping the rabbit out of her trance before quickly turning away from him quickly.

“Yeah, everything's fine!” Jenny exclaimed rather quickly with an embarrassed tone in her voice, her face still heavily flustered. The fox cocks a curious brow towards her before shrugs calmly, entering his bedroom and shutting the door behind her. Her breathing grew slightly heavier, her hand-paws move towards the left sight of her chest, and her heart was pounding hard inside of her chest. “Holy crap, I knew his body was defined and all, but I didn't think his body was THAT defined!” she exclaimed inside of her mind, clutching her chest where her beating her was located. A few minutes pass and the sound of the sliding door opening causes the rabbit's ears to flicker, making her turn towards the direction where Matt's room was at. And what she saw was something she didn't expect, or not necessarily anyways.

Matt Wilde was now standing just outside of his bedroom with a pair of clean clothes on him, ones she didn't expect him to wear. The shirt he wore was a black, tight fitting sleeveless shirt with a silver skull sewn on the left chest area, the bottom of the shirt being tucked into his pants. Over the shirt, the fox wore a sleeveless, similarly fitting hoodie that was slightly darker than the color of his shirt, with the hems and hoodie strings being a dark red color. Dark sanded blue slim bootcut jeans were worn over his legs, the waistline being a low rise. A few holes were seen on his pants, particularly on the upper part of his right thigh, lower part of his left thigh, and his right knee. The leg openings covered his black open toe combat boots almost to their entirety. Black samurai bracers were worn on his forearms, covering the forearms entirely along with the back of his black cloth fingerless gloved hand-paws. Lastly, two swords were attached to the left side of his pants, one being a katana bearing a twenty six inch blade and the other being a wakizashi, which bore a shorter, sixteen inch blade.

Although the choice of clothing had caught her attention, something else managed to catch her attention just the same. In his possession were the bloodied clothes he had worn after killing Derrick, Shane, and Marcus. He holds onto his clothes with one hand-paw and walks towards the closet where the washer and dryer was located, opening the washer door with his free hand-paw and throwing the clothes inside. He grabs the detergent from the top shelf and opens the cap, pouring some of it inside the washer before closing both the bottled detergent and the washer.

While the fox was busy getting the washer going, the bunny stands up from the couch and began walking towards the fox. Her blush not as apparent as it was before, but nevertheless was still there. But as her eyes remained fixed on his choice of outfit, she couldn't help but giggle with a grin on her face.

“You really must be into the whole modern samurai fashion, aren't you?” Jenny asked, the fox starting the washer before rubbing the back of his forehead, his expression being sheepish.

“You could say that”, Matt replied before a grin began to form on his face, moving both hand-paws towards his obliques. “Though now that you mention it, I'm starting to think you're growing an attraction towards modern samurais like myself”, he claimed with a playful tone of voice, winking at the rabbit before watching her becoming heavily flustered again.

“Matt!!” Jenny yelled with a similar tone of voice before playfully swatting his abs, several hearty chuckles escaping the fox's muzzle before giving his arms a good stretch.

“Seems I've proven my case”, Matt said with a playful wink, his expression soon calming down while retaining a soft smile on his face. “Do you have any ideas on where you wanna go?” he asked curiously. But before the rabbit could answer, however, her stomach began to growl almost loudly before a comical grin started forming on the fox's face.

“I think that might answer part of your question”, Jenny replied with a slightly embarrassed tone of voice, a few similarly toned chuckles escaping her mouth shortly after. “Though now that food's being talked about, I happen to know a good Japanese-themed restaurant/club in the downtown area, the Kazuki-Mai Nightclub”, she claimed, the fox nodding once at the mentioning of the name.

“I've heard of the place. Iizuka and some of the other Ishin-Mirkwood clan members told me they served good food and played good music”, Matt replied right as the bunny places her hand-paws behind her back, a soft grin forming on her face.

“Mmhmm, and If I'm not mistaken, Eighties night is tonight, so practically nothing but music from the Eighties will be playing tonight”, Jenny claimed following a giggle, noticing Matt's ears perking up at the mentioning of the type of music that would be playing tonight. “So what do ya say? Does the Kazuki-Mai Nightclub sound good?” she asked, a tender grin forming on the fox's muzzle.

“Sounds good to me, Jen”, Matt replied with a smirk on his face before walking towards the living room, grabbing his keys from the coffee table along with his wallet as well. Placing the keys in his right pocket and his wallet in the corresponding back pocket, the fox looks to the bunny and moves his head towards himself, gesturing her to follow him out the door. With a smirk on his muzzle, the fox walks towards the door and opens it widely, holding it open for his companion and watches the rabbit pass by him.

“Such a gentle fox”, Jenny said to the fox following a tender wink.

“Such a sexy bunny” Matt replied following a playful wink, earning him a similarly toned swat to his right thigh. Several chuckles escape the back of his muzzle before following her out the door, closing the door behind him and locking it quickly. With his home now secured, the fox and bunny head to the car and quickly drive towards the downtown area, their destination being the Kazuki-Mai Nightclub.

* * *

 

_**Kazuki-Mai Nightclub, about thirty minutes later** _

Loud music from the 1980s was blasting through the Band PA sound systems inside of the Nightclub, many of the mammals inside dressed in similar themed clothing for the most part as well. After all, it was Eighties night at the Kazuki-Mai Nightclub in downtown Kawasabus, and the night has just begun. Smoke covers the multicolored lighted dance floor thanks to the use of a smoke machine, giving the dance floor a cloudy effect. And now that the club was opened, business began to pack like flies gathering around the light.

Shortly after business opened at the nightclub, Jenny and Matt arrive to the club and enter the building, paying the entry fee as they went inside. Both of them find a booth near the dance floor and grab a hold of the menus on the table, looking over them closely at the types of food they served. A few minutes after looking over the menus and deciding on what they've wanted, a female waitress, particularly a female gazelle well within her mid twenties, approaches the booth with a bottle of sake at hand. The two tell the waitress what they wanted to eat and thank her for her services before pouring themselves a small shot glass of sake each. The fox raises his glass up and takes a drink of the alcoholic beverage in one swig. But after drinking a shot of the beverage, he looks down at the glass with a look of surprise on his face.

“This sake…. It, it tastes good again”, Matt said calmly with a surprised look on his face, not expecting the alcoholic beverage to have a sweeter taste to it. The last time he had it, it tasted like blood. But this time it didn't, and he didn't know why….

“Its probably because of the festival going on”, Jenny claimed before grabbing a hold of the glass bottle of sake with her right hand-paw, the fox moving his cup and letting the bunny pour him a drink. After pouring him another shot of the beverage, the fox moves the shot glass towards his muzzle before drinking the alcoholic drink with one swig.

“Perhaps”, Matt replied calmly before taking a glance around the area from his seat, watching some of the people gathering around the dance floor and dancing to the music from the glory days of the eighties. “So how many times have you been to this place?” he asked curiously while turning towards the bunny.

“I've been here a few times”, Jenny answered, lifting the shot glass towards her mouth and drinking the alcoholic beverage in one swig, placing the shot glass on the hardwood table with a loud 'thud'. “I came alone the first time I came here back in the summer. I came back to this place a couple more times with Stu and Judy Hopps shortly after they moved here from Bunnyburrow”, the bunny continued, the fox looking at her and nodding towards the female.

“I see”, Matt replied calmly, yet bore a soft, barely noticeable smile on his face. The song that played on the radio ends shortly after the fox's reply. He turns towards the DJ, a golden-blonde and dark brown furred lion, and watches him switching songs with a click of a mouse. With a flicker of his ears, he catches sound of a familiar, funky bass riff began to play through the Band PA sound system. He grins softly at the familiar music, but Jenny starts grinning widely with widening eyes.

“Oh my god, I haven't heard Rick James in months!!” Jenny exclaimed almost loudly before suddenly hopping off of her seat and rushing towards Matt. “C'mon!” she exclaimed, grabbing the fox's right forearm and pulling him towards the cloudy dance floor.

“Whoa!” Matt exclaimed with a surprised tone, not expecting his muscular four foot self to be pulled towards the dance floor by a two foot five inch tall rabbit. Not that he was complaining, though, especially with Rick James' 'Give it to me' was playing on the sound system.

They reach the heart of the dance floor within a matter of seconds, and the rabbit was already dancing to the rhythm of the music. Her hips sway side to side in correlation to the beats of the bass of the drums. Oh how did that ass shake before his very eyes, not to mention how the lighting reflected off of those skintight leather pants of hers, allowing the fox to see every luscious curve of her hips. Her arms slowly move to the back of her head and under her mostly tied back hair, the rabbit's hand-paws pulling her hair upward and making her shiny, silky, dark blonde and brown mixed hair spread apart momentarily before flopping back against her back. Her hand-paws move upward and spread away from each other, grabbing her own hips and circling them around the sides of her booty. The rabbit lowers herself close to the ground while shaking her ass to the bass of the music, her knees bending forward in relation to her movements. She didn't stay bent down, however, for she raises her ass up and trails her hand-paws up to the top of her hips, leaning her upper body back after her booty was raised.

While the bunny had been dancing in front of the rabbit, the fox was unsure of how to dance to the music, since he's never attended any nightclubs up until now. His tail did say otherwise, however, swaying side to side in synch with the bass of the drums. With a nervous smile, he began tapping his left foot in synchronization with the bass beats and clapping with the snare beats. It was a cheesy start for him, but nevertheless a descent start. Jenny giggles a couple times at the sight and began moving towards him, her hips continuing to sway side to side with the beat of the bass drums.

Grabbing his left hand-paw with her right, she wraps her left arm around some of his back before the fox places his right hand-paw behind her lower back. The bunny bends her knees forward slightly and starts shaking her ass to the rhythm of the music, her eyes half lidded and looking directly towards Matt's own set of eyes. The fox starts moving his feet-paws side to side while swaying his entire body in synch with the movements of his feet-paws, the rabbit following the movements in synchronization. It was like their minds were connected with each other, like as if they knew the moves they would make next. Their bodies to turn gradually around together with each others movements, Matt moving to the left with Jenny following his movements. Both of their hearts were pounding inside of their chests, their faces were slightly flustered, and the body heat began to rise in their bodies.

After making a ninety degree turn together, the rabbit began to do something the fox least expected. Jenny turns her body around and presses her back against him, her booty pressing against his crotch. She attempts to wrap her left arm around the back of his neck, but only her corresponding hand-paw could reach the left side of Matt's neck. But that didn't matter to her one bit. She loved how his neck fur felt in the grip of her left hand-paw, brushing her fingers through the softness of his slightly thickening fur. My god, how the fox felt so soft, she didn't know except for the fact she loved it.

Matt's face began burning right as soon as he felt her ass pressing against his crotch, especially when she was moving her booty side to side in rhythm to the beats of the drum bass. But he didn't care one bit about his rising body temperature. In fact, he embraced it with pride. Leaning his upper body forward a bit, he lowers his head enough to where the tip of his nose was nearly touching the rabbit's left cheek. His eyes close and his hand-paws simultaneously move towards the sides of her hips, rubbing her hips slowly in a circular pattern. Jenny sways her hips side to side tenderly when she felt the fox's hand-paws circling the sides of her hips. They almost felt intimate, but she didn't care at all. She was liking what he was doing, and she encourages him to continue by stroking his neck fur in a similar fashion.

Matt's hand-paws began to trail slowly up and down the sides of her thighs, the rabbit continuing to sway her ass side to side enough to where it was grinding against his crotch. Jenny leans back against his body a bit and turns her head to the left, her eyes focusing on the predator's head with nearly fast breaths escaping her mouth. This had to be one of the most intimate moments, possibly the most intimate moment she's been with any male before, and she didn't wanna stop. No, she wanted more! The bunny turns around and suddenly jumps onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist and her arms around his neck tightly enough to keep a secure hold on him. Matt was taken by surprise by the sudden action, but he was not complaining one bit. In fact, he was loving what the bunny was doing. He tenderly grabs a gentle hold of her thighs as his jade green eyes look directly towards her sapphire blue eyes, both pairs of eyes glowing in the tender floor lighting below them. Hot, panting breaths escape their mouths as their eyes remain locked in a tender gaze.

During the time their eyes were locked against one another, the Rick James tune concludes and the song, 'Burning to the Third Degree' by Tahnee Cain & The Tryanglz began to play through the loud speaker system. After about fifteen seconds of staring at each other's gaze, and into the song of course, the bunny releases her arms from his neck and leans back, her upper body lowering enough to where her upper body and his were close to making a ninety degree angle. Her DD-cup breasts were pointing directly upward, looking firm and perky to the eyes. Matt's pants began to tighten around the crotch area slightly, but not enough to make it noticeable to the rabbit. He soon found himself leaning forward towards her torso and gave her upper abdominal region a tender kiss, the rabbit blushing almost heavily due to not having expecting the fox to perform such an action. But she wasn't resisting his intimate actions at all, she in fact welcomed it. A soft, nearly inaudible moan escapes her mouth before her hand-paws move to the fox's head, grabbing a tender hold of his cheeks and stroking the fur gently.

While both the fox and rabbit continue to dance at the dance floor, Stu Hopps and his daughter, Judy, enter the club and began to look around for any empty tables. Stu was practically dressed in a pair of blue denim overalls with a green plaid flannel shirt underneath, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Judy, on the other hand, was wearing a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, along with a pair of black pair of skinny bootcut fitting denim jeans. They both find table roughly twenty yards from the dance floor and walk towards the table, taking a seat on the seats provided. A male wolf approaches the two bunnies and asked them what kind of beverages they wanted, both wanting a glass of water to quench their thirst. The wolf jots down their orders on the notepad before walking away to grab their beverages.

“Man, today's been nothing but hectic”, Stu began with a loud sigh. “First lack of business because of the harvest festival preparations Then those modern day samurai mammals are scaring off potential customers by walking the streets with a pair of swords on their left sides. Now I'm hearing some crazy rumors about some extremists causing trouble around town or something like that”, the fatherly rabbit continued before leaning forward and placing his head on his right hand-paw. “I don't know if its just me or of this town is full of wisecracks”, he added before shaking his head softly.

“I'm not even sure, Dad”, Judy replied with a shrug. “Either way, I'm too starving to think properly at the moment”, she claimed before leaning back against her chair and looking towards her right, looking at the large numbers of mammals dancing on the dance floor. But what she saw made her eyes widen with genuine surprise. “Wait, is that Jenny… dancing with that fox she met a few weeks back?!” she asked with a surprised tone, starting to smile at the intimate dancing the two were doing in the middle of the dance floor. Stu's ears raise at this and quickly looks towards his left, thus noticing their co-worker dancing with a fox of sort.

“Wait a second, isn't that the same fox you told me that had an alteration with those three missing predators at school today?” Stu asked.

“Yeah, Jenny told me about the fight in seventh period earlier today”, Judy replied with a nod. “She told me they attacked him out of nowhere during lunch hour” she continued.

“And now it looks like she's getting rather intimate with that fox”, Stu said almost bitterly. “I don't think I like this one bit…. Something tells me he's nothing but trouble”, he claimed, making Judy snap her attention towards him with a slight frown on her face.

“Why is that?” Judy asked calmly with a pair of furrowed brows.

“Well for one thing I don't trust foxes after what Gideon did to ya at the farm fair eight years ago. Second, he's carrying two swords on him as we speak”, Stu pointed out, pointing at the direction of the katana and wakizashi swords in Matt's possession. Judy turns towards the fox for a moment before letting out a calm sigh and turning to face her father again.

“Dad, there isn't a need to discriminate foxes based from personal experiences. Second, isn't it common for mammals to carry swords openly around Kawasabus?” Judy asked with a curious tone, yet her sight frown remained on her face. “Besides, he could probably be carrying them for self defense with a lot of murders happening in the town and whatnot”, she concluded before turning back towards Matt and Jenny at the dance floor.

“Perhaps…” Stu replied calmly. Although he'd wanted to continue the conversation, now was not the time and place. “Either way, after we eat, we gotta deliver the crops to New Otsu tonight, and last I checked it was a good four hour drive”, he claimed with a shrug, noticing the wolf approaching the two bunnies with two glasses of water gripped in his hand-paws. The waiter places the water glasses in front of them before the bunnies thank them, asking them for a few minutes to look over the menu before the wolf leaves the table.

With the two bunnies looking over the vegetation portion of the menus, Matt and Jenny continue to dance to the music playing over the radio. The song finishes and another one began to play over the sound system, this one in particular bringing in plenty of spice into the mix. Gloria Estefan's 'Conga' began playing through the speakers and causing the dancers on the dance floor to become more… spicy. Jenny removes her legs off of Matt's waist and steps onto the lighted dance floor, the fox placing his right hand-paw onto the lower part of her back and his left holding her right. Their bodies began swaying in synchronization to the rhythm of the music, Jenny's ass shaking sharply to the loud snares of the electronic drum.

Their bodies continue to heat with every move they made, with bits of sweat forming on their foreheads. Their hearts pounded hard inside of their chest, and their faces fluster heavier with the dancing becoming more and more intense by the second. Jenny suddenly releases her hold on the fox's back and his hand-paw before leaning back against his hand-paw, her long hair nearly touching the ground from her actions. Matt follows suit by leaning forward and gently nipping her neck with his front teeth, a pleasuring sensation pulsating through her body and causing her to lean her head back. A soft moan even escapes her mouth and intensifies quite a bit when Matt slowly runs his right hand-paw from the lower part of her back down towards her left ass cheek. Pleasuring shivers ran down her spine much to the point a second, slightly louder moan escaped the rabbit's mouth. She usually would've smacked anybody who ran their hand-paws down her ass, but in Matt's case… she enjoyed it, especially with the spicy eighties tune playing over the radio. Besides, how could that NOT work for this case?

As the Gloria Estefan song continues to play and the two continue to dance to the music's tempo, a pair of notable figures began to exit the place through the front door. The two figures were Thrandeer and Katagai, who had come to the club sometime before Matt and Jenny had arrived to the place. Both mammals had just finished eating dinner at the club and were at the front paying for their food. But right as Thrandeer and Katagai pull out their wallets and hand the cashiers the money, they notice both the bunny and the fox dancing at the heart of the cloudy, lighted dance floor. And seeing such an intimate sight definitely brought a grin on the buck's face, though Katagai's remained neutral, especially with what happened nearly a couple hours ago.

“I didn't know Matt had it in him”, Katagai commented with a neutral tone along with a slight frown. But despite his facial features, deep down he had to admit he was impressed with how well he was dancing with the rabbit, even how intimate he was dancing as well. The clan leader merely chuckles towards the sight before turning to face the bear next to him.

“Its not surprising, honestly”, Thrandeer claimed before briefly turning away from him and handing the appropriate amount of money to the cashiers, then turns back to face the bear. “After all, foxes are naturally sly and cunning mammals. But under the right circumstances, they definitely have the right touch to treat a woman, no matter the species”, he explained with a chuckle, turning to face the dancing pair and watches Jenny jumping onto Matt, her legs wrapping around her waist right when she did.

“Perhaps…” Katagai shrugged before handing the money he owed to the cashiers and places his wallet inside of this hakama pants pocket.

“Besides, I think allowing Matt to enjoy himself for once may do him some good”, Thrandeer claimed while turning to face the exit next to the entrance. “Come, we must head back to the hotel. I need to give Miyabe and call and have a nice little chat with him”, the buck said calmly, but with a hint of seriousness to his voice before walking towards the exit and passing through the wooden doors.

“Understood”, Katagai replied, following the buck outside and passing through the doors as well.

Shortly after the two had left, the song started coming to a close, and half of the dancers began walking back towards their tables to relax or take a breather. It wouldn't be long before both Matt and Jenny follow suit, the rabbit removing her legs from his waist and stepping onto the floor. Although the dancing ceased between the two, the tender moment between them did not. Matt gently wraps his muscular arms around the bunny in a tender hug, Jenny wrapping hers around his back and her breasts pressing against his chiseled abs.

“I never knew you had it in you, Matt. You danced so exquisitely”, Jenny said softly, the left side of her face resting on his built chest. Matt's left hand-paw moves to the back of her head and began stroking her hair gently.

“We foxes are full of surprises, I suppose”, Matt replied with a soft grin, resting the underside of his on top of her head gently. “But there is one thing though”, he began, moving his head off of her before the rabbit looks up to the fox curiously.

“What would that be?” Jenny asked.

“That I've had the most fun I've ever had in years…” Matt answered right as he moves his left hand-paw onto her right cheek, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Thank you, Jenny, for giving me the best night of my life”, the fox thanked her with a genuine tone, the rabbit looking up to him with a pair of surprised eyes. Surprised as she was at first, she began to smile softly and nods at him, She grabs a hold of his head and tip toes up to his right cheek, planting a soft kiss onto his cheek. Matt was not expecting this at all, a pair of wide eyes and a heavy blush proving that point rather obviously. He closes his eyes and gently tightens the hug, his heart pounding in his chest almost rapidly. He was completely content where he was standing, let alone what had transpired. From the day he had lost his mother, to becoming a highly renowned assassin, to this point in time, he truly felt serene for the first time in years.

“Don't mention it, Matt”, Jenny replied softly with a soft smile on her face, resting her head against his chest and beginning to rub his neck tuft slowly. Her eyes close and soon the two began to slow dance to Breathe's 'How can I fall' playing over the sound system, many of the remaining dancers following shortly after they began dancing. Matt could honestly stay at that same spot for an eternity if he could, with the bunny wrapped in his arms and the fox in hers. The smell of food, however, invades his nostrils enough to make his nose twitch, and his stomach growl lightly. Both of them began to giggle right after his stomach growled.

“Looks like our food's ready”, Matt commented with a light chuckle, looking behind him and noticing the gazelle waitress returning to their booth with their orders at hand. The fox looks at the bunny with a grin before the two nod at each other, the two turning towards the booth and began walking to their table. Matt's left arm and Jenny's right remain embraced around their waists in genuine friendship, a bond that was perhaps much stronger than both of them realize. Regardless of the bloodshed had happened earlier that day, tonight definitely has been the best night of their lives.


	11. Kawasabus Under Attack

_ **Kawasabus Under Attack** _

  


A large number of Neo-Shinsengumi members occupy the Neo-Shinsengumi Headquarters meeting room, the people lining up in several vertical rows of eight people. The room's lighting consists of two horizontal rows of five, sixty-three inch, dimly lit lamps. Hell, the room was practically dimly lighted to the point where it could match the lighting of a secret room for the occult. But regardless of the environment inside the Neo-Shinsengumi's base of operations, all sets of eyes remain fixed upon the captain and his second in command.

Like all members of the Neo-Shinsengumi, the captain and the second in command wore tight fitting, sky blue colored short sleeved athletic shirt, with the shirts being tucked into their cool gray hakama pants. Black fingerless gloves cover their hand-paws much like the samurai bracers cover their forearms and the back of their hand-paws. But unlike the members, however, they wore a dark cerulean blue long sleeve Montsuki Haori jacket over their athletic shirts, which signify their higher authority over the other members.

Although similar in terms of their ranks, their species were obviously different from one another. The captain himself is a South China Tiger with orange and white fur, with black stripes covering parts of his body. A brown pair of eyes gaze directly towards the other mammals with a serious frown on his face. His medium length black hair was tied back with a white ponytail, making the mammal's hair look slick enough to shine in the dull lighting. Lastly, the tiger appeared to be well within his forties, yet bore the appearance to that of someone in the middle of his thirties.

The Neo-Shinsengumi's second in command is a timber wolf with various shades and tints of gray, with a pair of hazel eyes gazing towards the rest of the members inside the room. Like the captain, his hair was a jet black color and tied back with a white colored ponytail, the exception being his bangs remaining free.

One thing was for certain the two had in common: The captain and second in command were in here for some serious business, especially with the tones they were about to carry in their voices.

“Okita, Hesuki, and Todo will accompany the captain. The rest of you will follow me!” the second in command said calmly to the large number of Neo-Shinsengumi members inside.

“Sir?” another member asked, the captain's attention shifting briefly towards his left before turning back towards the front. It was now time to give out the order. The tiger stands up off of his seat and looks straight at the other members.

“We must search every part of downtown Kawasabus this evening, gentlemammals”, the captain began right before turning to his right slightly. “We are engaged in battle now”, he continued, pausing briefly to shift his attention towards his left, looking at the other members from that side of the room. “Our foe must be dead or arrested by dawn” he kept speaking all while shifting his gaze directly in front of him. “You will pay dearly for any mammal you overlook! I will see to that”, the feline finished with a stern look on his face along with a similar tone of voice.

“Rise up, and fight!” the second in command ordered, every member of the Neo-Shinsengumi standing up immediately after he gave the order. The Neo-Shinsengumi depart from the room and turn out the lights on their way out, thus their battle against the extremists has begun….

* * *

 

_**Kazuki-Mai Nightclub** _

Calm and serene was what the entire environment felt like to both Matt Wilde and Jenny Bunni, both of which were relaxing at the booth after eating a freshly cooked, high quality meal. Both the fox and rabbit had been there for about two hours now, having already danced together, eaten, and had already paid for their meals roughly ten minutes ago (Matt having paid his and Jenny's meals under the same bill). Now the two were next to each other in a warm embrace, Jenny resting her head on the fox's left shoulder with the fox's left arm wrapped around her waist. Matt pours himself and Jenny another shot of sake and grabs the small glass, the rabbit doing the same before the fox moves his shot glass towards his mouth. The rabbit began to do the same right as the fox took a swig of his, but places it back on the table and lets out a soft sigh.

“You know… I'm quite different from you”, Jenny began, pausing momentarily to turn her head towards the fox, with the vulpine doing the same with a curious look on his face. “I don't enjoy drinking as much as I used to anymore”, she finished.

“Is it the taste?” Matt asked curiously, placing the emptied shot glass onto the table next to hers, which was still full of sake. Jenny turns away from the fox and closes her eyes.

“No, its just I used to rely on alcohol to help me feel more contented”, Jenny began before reopening her eyes and looking back up towards the fox with her sapphire eyes. “Now, I don't need it”.

“I see”, Matt replied calmly before turning to face Jenny's shot glass, grabbing a hold of it and moving it towards her hand-paws. “Here”, he said, but a raised hand-paw stopped him on his tracks. He looks at the rabbit and right as Jenny shook her head in refusal. With an understanding nod, he turns towards the table and places the shot glass back onto the table, a pair of sapphire eyes now looking up at the slash wound on his face.

“Your wound seems to have stopped bleeding”, Jenny said with a calmly surprise tone of voice, a soft shrug escaping his muzzle.

“I haven't thought about it in days”, Matt replied, leaning back against the booth contently.

“It must've finally healed up, perhaps?”, Jenny asked, the fox letting out a calm sigh before turning away from her.

“Well, the blood stopped flowing”, Matt answered, not paying attention to the fact the rabbit next to him was still looking at the wound on his left cheek.

“You know, I'm not sure why, but every time I look at it, I think of the strangest thing”, Jenny began, grabbing the vulpine's attention almost quickly. He turns his head towards the bunny and began looking towards her with a curious pair of eyes. “I wonder about the last thing your victims see”, she wondered aloud, only enough for him to hear and no one else. “You say you put people to death to make others happy and keeping them safe… but...” she paused, looking down towards her left with uncertainty of what to say next.

“Continue”, Matt replied calmly, his left hand-paw gently beginning to rub her left shoulder, the bunny smiling up at him briefly before losing it a few seconds later.

“I… I don't think… I can't see it brings you much happiness, Matt…” Jenny concluded with a concerned look and tone in her voice. And although the fox understood her tone, he merely closes his eyes and lets a calm sigh escape his muzzle.

“People die everyday for no reason, Jen. I don't choose my victims at random”, Matt claimed, a slight frown on his face while bearing a calm tone in his voice.

“Perhaps…” Jenny replied before looking back up towards towards the fox. “Yet you don't even choose your victims. You hope you're killing mammals who deserve to die… but it looks as if you entrusted your leader”, she finished, with Matt closing his eyes before letting out another shrug.

“Its better I not know the reason why they should die”, Matt claimed, his answer causing the rabbit to gasp softly. “They die for a reason, and that's all I need to know…” the fox added, reopening his eyes and turning away from her. Jenny didn't expect such an answer to come from his mouth, yet at the same time wasn't surprised by it either. She knew he was an assassin, so there wasn't a reason to be surprised by the answer anyways. But as she looks at him closely, particularly towards his jade green eyes, she knew there was something more to him than meets the eye.

“You know… every time I look into your eyes, I can sense there's something more about you than what's being shown on the outside”, Jenny began, which catches the vulpine's curiosity rather quickly with a flicker of his ears.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked, no longer slightly frowning and now looking at the bunny with a curious look on his face.

“Well… for instance, you may look like a cold blooded, cold hearted assassin on the outside”, Jenny began following a brief pause. “…but when I look into your eyes, I can see you have a heart of gold on the inside…” she continued, slowly placing her left hand-paw onto the spot where his heart lies. “A heart that desires to protect the ones you love and cherish, no matter the cost”, the bunny added. “That's what I sense inside of you…” and with those words, the bunny lowers her head and turns away from him, looking towards her left where the table was.

“Jen…” Matt said softly, his right hand-paw gently grabbing a hold of her jaw a few seconds later and gently tilting her head upwards, her eyes now directly looking towards his.

Seconds began to pass by like minutes as the two continue to look into each others eyes, their breathing being calm and serene in the movements. Their faces began to fluster softly, their breathing quickened slightly, and their hearts began pounding inside of their chests. Matt soon began leaning towards her slowly, much like Jenny was moving up towards him in a similar place. Their eyes slowly began to close as they inch closer towards each other's face. Ten inches soon became five, then four, two, one. They were now half an inch away from each other and their eyes were now closed, completely oblivious to their surroundings. Nothing mattered to them right now but the company of each other. Their lips were now only a centimeter from one another, their lips getting closer to connecting with one another. Just one more centimeter.…

“We've got to go!!” the urgent voice of Iizuka broke the moment and immediately causes the two to pull away from one another with a pair of shocked, widened eyes. Their faces were flustering heavily with pure shock, especially with Matt's fur sticking up all over the place. He starts turning around with a furious look on his face, but seeing the urgent expression the tanuki bore on his face, his furious expression quickly changes to a surprised one.

“What's the matter?” Matt replied calmly, the blush he once bore from his unexpected presence no longer on his face. The bunny turns to face the tanuki with a similar expression as well, yet was still slightly, though unnoticeably, flustering from the sudden intrusion. Yet upon seeing Iizuka's expression, she understood something must've gone down, or that something was happening as he spoke.

“We're all in danger!” Iizuka exclaimed, both the fox and rabbit quickly standing up before watching the tanuki turning to face the exit. “I'll explain everything on the way! Now c'mon!” the tanuki added before suddenly rushing towards the exit, with Matt and Jenny turning towards each other. The fox nods towards his rabbit companion and gently grabbing her left hand-paw with his right, his fingers curling between hers before quickly rushing out of the door. Unaware to them, a couple pairs of eyes, one brown and the other purple, have been watching the two leaving with the tanuki.

The trio quickly rush out of the Nightclub and began running through the streets of Kawasabus as quick as they could. Unfortunately they were met with a lot of delays while trying to flee the place. Huge number of mammals, from the biggest predators to the smallest of prey crowded the streets like concert goers crowding a massive arena. Though coincidentally enough, it appears many of the mammals in the crowd seem to be heading towards some place similar, perhaps an outdoor venue for the festival. But neither Iizuka, Matt, or Jenny cared one bit about this. Something was about to go down in Kawasabus, and it seems the fox and rabbit were about to find out.

“Miyabe and his clan are about to burn Kawasabus to the ground tonight”, Iizuka started to explain all while trying to push his way through the crowded streets of Kawasabus. Matt looks back towards Jenny to ensure he had a secure hold of her, which fortunately for him he did.

“That's Insane!” Matt exclaimed with a growl.

“Of course it is”, Iizuka replied quickly. “Then they plan to move the Neo-Shogunate's leader to New Takagi and rule the government from there. Thrandeer tried to talk to them out of this idiotic venture, but to no avail. They're disavowed from each other”, the tanuki continued before a growl escapes from the fox's muzzle. Unaware to the trio, however, the Neo-Shinsengumi and some members of the orimaku clan had were already marching towards their suspected destination. “We are being forced into battle prematurely. The orimaku clan have enlisted the Neo-Shinsengumi to fight with them”, he explained further before managing to arrive at one of the discreet alleyways in the area. “You have to get to that meeting as fast as you can. Now go!” the tanuki finished quickly, turning towards the alleyway and sprinting towards through it.

“Meeting?” Matt wondered in his mind right as he quickly turns to face the running raccoon dog. “Where do we go?!” the fox asked, stopping the tanuki on his tracks before turning to face the vulpine.

“To the Koromachi Bar, in the Idekaya District!” Iizuka exclaimed quickly before turning away from the two and sprinting away from them both. Matt and Jenny look towards each other and gave a soft nod, the fox kneeling down and moving his arms back towards the bunny.

“The Idekaya District is about ten blocks from where we're at right now. We'll get there quicker if I carried you”, Matt suggested right as he felt the bunny climb onto his back without hesitation, her arms wrapping around his neck enough to keep a secure hold, and her legs getting wrapped by the fox's muscular arms. Once she was secured, the fox stands up and quickly sprints forward, the direction in which the Koromachi Bar was located. Whether or not they would get there in time, he didn't know. All they could do now was for the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members to hold on long enough for him to get there.

* * *

 

_**Koromachi Bar, Idekaya District, roughly about the same time** _

“They're upstairs!” a member of the Neo-Shinsengumi exclaimed as many of them begin rushing inside of the Koromachi Bar, many of the local residents and drunks looking towards this with a mixture of emotions. The Neo-Shinsengumi had arrived to the two story bar barely half a minute ago, which was believed to be the suspected location where the Ishin-Mirkwood meeting was taking place. Before the member heads inside, he turns to face the others who still remain outside. “Some of you start searching for the assassin in the other parts of the district. We've got this!” he ordered the other members before following the rest of the group inside, the ones outside splitting up to different factions to begin their search for the assassin.

As some of the Neo-Shinsengumi hastily enter the bar, one of the Ishin-Mirkwood members, a cheetah, heard all of the commotion that was going on downstairs. He quickly stands up and grabs a hold of the sheathed blade before quickly exiting the meeting room, their base of operations. The feline quickly draw's his sword right as he spots Okita rushing upstairs towards the meeting room.

“Who are you?!” the cheetah exclaimed and was about to pull out his sword, but a deadly pierce from Okita's katana through the heart sought an end to that. The folf pulls his sword out and watches the cheetah rolling down the stairs, blood shooting out of the fatal injury like a high powered water hose.

“Its not him!” the words that came from Okita's mouth quickly caught the attention of the other members of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members, who gasp with furious surprise and towards the open door with similar expressions for roughly a few seconds. One of them opens the candle lit lantern and blows the flame out of it quickly.

“Hurry! Put out the lights”, one of the clan members said softly, albeit quickly before many of the members began blowing out most of the candles. Many quickly draw out their swords right as Okita and the Captain of the Neo-Shinsengumi come into view at their doorstep.

“You're all under arrest”, the captain said calmly with a frown on his face, one of the members quickly slicing the final candle with a defiant diagonal strike.

The clan members gaze directly at the Neo-Shinsengumi with their swords drawn, one of the clan members quickly drawing out his sword. All prepare for battle with their swords drawn, their hand-paws clutching the handles tightly. The eyes of the Neo-Shinsengumi gaze directly at the Ishin-Mirkwood clan's own despite the room being almost completely dark. The only light source inside the room was the passing of a green glowing firefly, which began encircling itself around one of the Neo-Shinsengumi member's swords and the shiny material from the blade reflecting its light. All was silent, and not a single mammal dare moved.

But that soon changed when one of the clan members steps forward and accidentally pushes the coffee table forward, the cups that once occupied its surface falling forward and shattering into pieces. That unintentionally became the signal for the battle to begin, the Neo-Shinsengumi shouting battle cries and rushing towards the clan with their blades pulled back. The Ishin-Mirkwood clan members rush towards their opponents and began attacking them, only for their opponents to block the attacks swiftly with their own blades.

Loud 'clink' and 'clank' noises began to fill the dark room rapidly with each strike the two opposing forces try to make against one another. While both excellent in skill, it wasn't long before it was decided which side would have the upper hand. A Neo-Shinsengumi member stabs his sword right through one of the clan member's heart and kills his opponent on the spot, blood coating the silver blade thickly. And it wouldn't be long before more of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members began to fall, especially thanks to Okita who had been slashing each opponent one by one.

The battle grew too heated for some of the clan members, but that didn't stop their fighting spirits one bit. Hell, many of them continue to fight to the death no matter the cost… with the exception of a zebra of course. The zebra suddenly jumps right through the sliding glass door like it were a window, not caring of any of he glass had cut him or not. Quickly jumping from the patio onto the metallic rooftop, the clan member suddenly turns around and notices Okita jumping onto the wooden railing of the patio and heading directly towards the zebra. Panicking at first, the equine recuperates quickly tightens his grip on his sword.

“Fight!” Okita shouted before performing an upper horizontal sweep with his sword, knocking the zebra back a bit because of the force of his attack. The equine attempts to strike the folf as quickly as he could, but Okita quickly jumps backwards before the attack struck him. And that proved to be a fatal mistake on the clan member's part! With a sudden movement, the folf pulls his blade back and points it directly towards his opponent before thrusting it right through the zebra's left chest, the clan member screaming in agonizing pain as blood began splattering out of the wound. Some of the crimson liquid paints the folf's body almost excessively, but the folf pulls his sword out of the zebra's body before rushing towards the patio adjacent to the one he exited from.

Upon approaching the patio's platform, he watches several members of the Neo-Shinsengumi along with several Ishin-Mirkwood clan members exiting the other room swiftly. He jumps onto the patio and starts hacking one of the enemies with a diagonal sweep of his blade, lacerating the chest open enough to kill his opponent almost swiftly. His ears flicker to the left and turns towards that direction, thrusting his sword deep into his left lung just under the clan member's heart. Okita quickly rotates the blade to a horizontal angle and pulls the blade out to the right with enough force to not only cut through the flesh and bone, but to also strike another opponent and kill him almost immediately. The folf closes his eyes for a moment before turning towards his left, reopening his eyes and surveying his surroundings closely.

“Okita! He's not here!” a member of the Neo-Shinsengumi exclaimed until he suddenly gets struck with a nasty diagonal slash from one of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members, which killed him almost immediately. Okita's attention now turns towards the other clan members and engages in battle with the other members, wanting to end this immediately before the battle suddenly turns for the worst.

* * *

 

_**Idekaya District, roughly five blocks from the Koromachi Bar** _

As the chaos at the Koromachi Bar continues to progressively get worse, Matt and Jenny continue making their way towards the bar with haste. Unaware to them, the Neo-Shinsengumi had already arrived to the bar and had begun attacking the meeting. But that wasn't the only thing oblivious to them both, for they also had sent some of their squadrons after them, specifically Matt himself. And while the two were walking through a dark alleyway, members of the Neo-Shinsengumi intercepts them at the end of the pathway and causes Matt to stop on his tracks, kneeling down and letting the bunny get off of his back. The fox stands back up and watches the Neo-Shinsengumi line up side to side with their swords drawn from their sheaths.

“That's the one! He's the assassin!” one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members shouted, the fox placing his left arm in front of the rabbit behind him.

“Jen, get outta here, now!” Matt ordered, his left arm moving towards his sheathed weapon. But before he can grab a hold of it, however, Jenny grabs his hand-paw and causes the fox to gaze his eyes towards her direction.

“No way, Matt. I'm not leaving!” Jenny exclaimed with a serious tone of voice, making it clear she wasn't leaving him. “I'm your sheath, and I'm staying here no matter what!” she continued, the fox's eyes now moving back towards the Neo-Shinsengumi members standing roughly a good thirty yards away from him.

“You'll die”, Matt replied with an identical tone.

“By your side”, Jenny responded quickly, yet with a much calmer tone of voice, briefly catching the fox by surprise even if his facial expression didn't show it. “I may have seen you kill before, but by staying by your side and watching you kill again, I will truly know the full caliber of your strength”, the rabbit claimed right before the fox steps in front of her with his right hand-paw gripping the handle of his sword.

All of the sudden, one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, a timber wolf, starts sprinting towards the fox with his blade raised up high and ready for the kill. The wolf quickly performs a vertical slash, but Matt starts sprinting and blocks the attack by pulling out his sword and performing an upper horizontal sweep. Knocking back the wolf as he did, the fox slashes the wolf and slaughters him within a mere second, his blade slashing from the left shoulder down to his right oblique. With Matt killing the first of the Neo-Shinsengumi squad in the area, his battle has just begun.

* * *

 

_**Koromachi Bar, Idekaya District** _

The entire place was in chaos, especially with the fact many of the bar's customers now fleeing from the battle that was going on at the bar. While none of the drunks or customers on the first floor were harmed, both the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members and the Neo-Shinsengumi have suffered serious injuries, life threatening or not. Speaking of which, Okita had his left arm wrapped around one of his comrades' waist and was carrying him down towards the dirt road. His comrade a cross fox with black and orange fur on his body, along with long, black tied back hair. The Neo-Shinsengumi fox had suffered a severe, though non-life threatening, injury on his right shoulder and on his right side.

The folf suddenly stops in the middle of the dirt road and sets the fox down upon hearing his heavy breathing, raising his blade upwards defensively in front of the approaching Ishin-Mirkwood clan members. They had their blades pulled upward and were ready for the slaughter, but two deadly horizontal slashes sought an end to that. And the one responsible for the attacks was none other than Saito, who performed the first attack towards the front before making a hundred eighty degree turn, thus performing the second slash in the opposite direction. The clan members immediately fall backwards onto the ground and die almost immediately from the wounds, the arctic wolf flicking his sword once to remove most of their blood off of his blade.

“Where is Thrandeer?” Saito asked with a calmly stern look on his face.

“He's not here”, Okita answered almost immediately after the arctic wolf asked. “The assassin's not inside either”, the folf added before the arctic wolf nods at his comrade's answer. The folf quickly stands up with the fox in his grip. “I'll go take Hitoshi to the hospital, His wounds need to get treated right away!”

“I understand”, Saito replied with a quick nod, turning towards the bar and entering inside. With the arctic wolf raiding the rest of the bar for anymore Ishin-Mirkwood clan members, the folf turns to his right, sprinting away from the scene with the intent to save his fallen ally.

* * *

 

_**At the Alley five blocks from the Bar** _

Painful groans were coming from some of the attacking Neo-Shinsengumi as the battle between them and the assassin continued to progress. One of them was recovering after rolling onto the concrete pathways after being knocked back from the force of Matt's attack. They knew the assassin was of a high caliber, but none of them expected him to be **THIS** strong! But regardless of the caliber of his strength, along with two of their mammals being killed by the assassin's blade.

“Armor won't save you!” Matt exclaimed right as he tightens his grip on his sword and began to snarl towards them, his fangs being exposed to his opponents. “Lay down your arms! Or DIE!!”

“We are trained in the technique of Okinishi-guru”, one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members replied quickly.

“Then you're all dead!” Matt shouted and starts sprinting towards his opponents hastily. One of the members closest to the fox raises his blade almost vertically in a defensive stance before being knocked back by the assassin's attack, only for the vulpine to quickly strike another member by thrusting his blade right through his opponents chest. A couple other Neo-Shinsengumi members quickly rush towards the fox with their blades at hand. However, the fox pulls his sword out and presses it against a vulpine Neo-Shinsengumi member's neck. Matt pulls his sword towards the left and lacerates his opponent's throat swiftly, blood splurting out of the fatal wound before turning towards the others.

While the fox was working on assassinating the Neo-Shinsengumi faction, Jenny continues to watch the entire scene play out with a pair of slightly widened eyes. Her eyes were not wide out of fear, however, but with how surprised the amount of skill the fox had with a sword. She was no longer afraid of what Matt was doing, but was admittedly impressed with the efficiency of his kills. Hell, within a matter of seconds, Matt's already slaughtered almost all of the Neo-Shinsengumi members who arrived onto the scene, whether it'd be through decapitation, throat laceration, or chest penetration. And before she knew it, the fox manages to kill his last opponent by stabbing him through the throat, the mammal's corpse collapsing onto the ground with his back against the wall.

With all of the Neo-Shinsengumi in the area slaughtered by the vulpine's blade, the fox turns to face the bunny nearby and looks towards her expression, no longer sensing fear inside of her. Whether she had gotten used to it or no longer feared it, he didn't know. But either way, the Neo-Shinsengumi faction was dead to the point where they can now continue their journey towards the bar. Matt grabs a brown cloth from his right cargo pocket and wraps it around the blade before slowly moving it along the blade, cleaning the blood from it and enabling him to sheath his sword in a cleaner state. As the fox sheaths his sword Jenny rushes towards the fox before grabbing his left hand-paw with her right. Matt nods towards the bunny before quickly rushing towards the bar, hoping they weren't too late to stop the Neo-Shinsengumi from eliminating the clan members within.

* * *

 

_**Kawasabus Shrine Inn Penthouse, about a couple minutes later** _

All was silent inside of the penthouse at the Inn, the same one Thrandeer Katzuma was currently occupying with Maria at this time. Currently, the two were playing Shogi, which was a Japanese version of Chess to help pass the time, oblivious to all of the chaos going on outside. Yet it would not remain quiet for much longer, for the sound of the room's sliding door being quickly opened broke the silence within. And the one who opened it was Ishin-Mirkwood clan member, Katagai.

“Thrandeer!” Katagai exclaimed quickly with an urgent tone in his voice, and whatever the bear needed to say, he was in a real need to explain his situation now.

“I have already given Miyabe my final decision”, Thrandeer replied calmly with a slight hint of annoyance in his tone.

“The meeting! It has been attacked by the Neo-Shinsengumi!” Katagai quickly replied. And that immediately caught the clan leader's attention and turns to face him momentarily, quickly standing up and walking towards the bedroom where he kept his sword. Maria watches Thrandeer grabbing his sword off of the bed and exiting the room. She was about to follow him, but the male turning his head to face her stops her on her tracks.

“Stay here, no harm must come to you”, Thrandeer said to the female kitsune calmly, albeit with a concerned tone mixed in. The buck quickly turns away from her and follows Katagai out of the of the penthouse, closing the door behind him and leaving the kitsune to look at the door with a concerned look on her face.

* * *

 

_**Idekaya District** _

All was now quiet in the Idekaya district, where nothing but the bodies of both Neo-Shinsengumi and Ishin-Mirkwood clan members alike occupying the block where the Koromachi Bar was located. Matt and Jenny look upon the sight with shock, though the fox barely showed his shocked expression. They had gotten there too late, and not a single survivor was found upon the bloody scene. Knowing that they were too late, the fox gently grabs a firm hold of the rabbit's right hand-paw and quickly rushes away from the scene.

Now they were both on the run from the Neo-Shinsengumi and any local authorities aiding them and the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate armies. Their sights were now set upon the parking garage where the fox had parked his Dodge Challenger at, intending on getting the hell out of there as soon as possible. Where they would go, he didn't exactly know just yet. But one thing for certain, he didn't care where the hell they both would go so long they manage to escape the Neo-Shogunate armies.

After sprinting from the bar for a good fifteen to thirty minutes, the two soon arrive to the bridge near the river, which was conveniently only just several blocks away from the Inn. As for the parking garage, they can get there quicker by crossing the bridge and taking some of the back alleys to get there. Matt turns towards the right where the bridge was and was about to sprint along the way, but immediately stops and takes a step back from the edge of the brick building. Now there was one major problem….

On the other side of the bridge, roughly about a hundred meters from where Matt and Jenny were hiding, a group of Neo-Shinsengumi were gathered around an unconscious body of sort, possibly someone's corpse. From what the fox can see with his keen eyes, he notices the body was placed in a position identical to someone bowing, his arms wrapped around his torso for some odd reason. The fox watches one of the members kneel down next to the corpse and lift his head up, the member examining the body closely to determine what had happened. Now that they were distracted, perhaps he could use this as an advantage to attack. Matt grabs a hold of the sheath of his sword with his fangs barred and leans forward, his right hand-paw moving towards the handle of his weapon, but a pair of hand-paws grabbing the handle of his weapon stopped him on his tracks.

The fox turns to face the rabbit next to him and sees her shaking her head, a pleading look obviously apparent on her face. The aggressive look that once occupied his face now shifts towards one of calm surprise, his narrow eyes slightly widening and his fangs no longer barred. The way she shook her head, how her mouth was open, and the worried look her eyebrows bore, he knew for a fact she didn't want him to kill. He moves his right hand-paw away from the handle and continues to keep his eyes fixed upon hers.

“Thrandeer Katzuma's escaped”, the voice of a Neo-Shinsengumi member snaps the two out of their trance and looks towards the direction where the voice was heard. The fox and bunny lean forward slightly enough to see what was going on, but not enough to allow them to see the two. Then again, with the alley as dark as it is, along the lights not working properly, they doubted they could even be spotted. But as the saying goes: 'Better safe than sorry'. All of the sudden, the one who was examining the body began walking towards an arctic wolf, the leader of the third Neo-Shinsengumi squad, Saito.

“It appears Miyabe has committed seppuku”, the Neo-Shinsengumi examiner claimed after he had examined the body, who had been identified as Miyabe. Unaware to the group, Matt kneels down and allows the rabbit to climb of his back, Jenny's arms wrapping around the fox's neck and his arms wrapping around her legs.

“Coward…” Saito replied with calm disdain. His nose twitches and his ears flicker to the sound of movement before turning towards his right slightly. Although he failed to see the two crossing from one alley to the next, due to the darkness of the road, he did manage to catch the scent of one of them. “I thought I smelt white plum…” the wolf claimed, his eyes slightly narrowing towards the direction in which the smell and sounds of movement came from.

“In autumn?” a Neo-Shinsengumi member asked curiously.

“Yes…” Saito answered almost quickly, leaning his torso forward and grabbing the handle of his blade. But before he can sprint towards the location where the scent came from, however, a loud 'BA-CHOOM' suddenly goes off several hundred meters away from their current position. All of the members look behind them and notice the fires beginning to burn Kawasabus to the ground, loud screams and cries of the residents within the explosion site being heard from the distance.

“Saito! Don't worry about tracking the source of the scent”, one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members exclaimed. “They'll most likely fall to the hands of the others around town”, he added before most of the members began rushing towards the site with great haste. Saito briefly looks back to the direction where the scent of white plums had came from before turning towards the explosion site, wanting to find out the cause of the sudden attack and the one behind it.

* * *

 

_**Kawasabus Shrine Inn, a couple blocks from the parking garage** _

News stations on the HDTV in the lobby has been playing nothing but the attacks happening in Kawasabus, reporting on various attacks between the 'extremists' clans, the Neo-Shinsengumi, even reports on the involvement of local authorities and a few residents began to surface. As of right now, Amaya was currently trying to gather everything she needs from her desk to lock the place down before the attacks start to initiate a riot throughout town. Her co-workers had already left moments prior to the explosion that happened, grateful they were able to start getting out of town as fast as possible. For all she knew, all hell was breaking loose. Her ears suddenly flicker to the sound of the lobby door opening along with a pair of footsteps heading towards her direction.

“Where's Thrandeer?!” the voice of Matt Wilde asked, his tone almost urgent sounding. The vixen quickly turns to face Matt while he was setting Jenny down onto her feet. “Was he here?” he asked again right as he stands back up after letting Jenny off his back.

“He left earlier”, Amaya began, holding a bunny sized black and blue colored kimono in her possession. “But I've heard about the ambush”, the vixen added and hands the kimono to Jenny, who took the article of clothing. “You must leave this place. Hurry up”, she urged them calmly, the fox giving her a soft nod before heading out of the back way. Jenny began following suit right as the vixen turns directly towards her. “Oh, Jenny!” she called, both the fox and rabbit stopping on their tracks and turning towards her.

“Huh?” Jenny asked.

“The Iris, it is most lovely in the rain”, Amaya began. “Even if it's… a rain of blood”, the vixen finished, the rabbit now looking towards her with a curious expression on her face. However, she nods towards the vixen before she and Matt start sprinting towards the garden exit, which lead directly towards a back alley that can help in their escape.

Both of them quickly exit the building and run along the stone path provided, noticing a wooden gate at the end of the pathway. Matt grabs the knob and pulls the door forward, taking a look at both the left and right pathways before quickly debating on which pathway to take.

“Matt”, the voice of Thrandeer catches his attention quickly, turning to the right and noticing the clan leader alive and well, much to Matt's relief.

“Thrandeer, thank god you're alive”, Matt replied out of relief before approaching the clan leader.

“I may be alive, but my dreams are dead”, Thrandeer calmly said despite not being happy about what had happened at the Koromachi Bar in the Idekaya District. But there was something else that bothered him. “The Neo-Shogunate armies laid waist the entire Ishin-Mirkwood camp. I fear we have lost everything”, he added before shaking his head slightly a couple of times, not expecting both the Koromachi Bar along with the Ishin-Mirkwood camp to be attacked and, for the most part, eradicated by the Neo-Shogunate soldiers.

“Damn…” Matt growled softly, his hand-paws clenching into fists tightly. “How long ago did this happen?”

“Five minutes after the attack at the Koromachi Bar”, Thrandeer answered before setting his eyes directly towards the predator and prey standing before him. “You two must get out of Kawasabus Immediately, and travel to New Otsu. I'll arrange a safe house for you”, he said before placing his left hand-paw on the sheath of his sword. “You will live and continue your education there as a High School couple”, as soon as the buck said those words, both Matt and Jenny let out soft gasps and began blushing heavily. “They'll be looking for an assassin, not a student engaging in an interspecies relationship with a rabbit”. The buck finished, both the fox and bunny blushing that much heavier as the deer added that last line. But now that the buck mentioned the safe house arrangement earlier, a thought comes to his mind and looks up at him.

“Speaking of safe houses, my aunt, Tomoe, lives right at the edge of New Otsu near Lake Erie. I can call her and make living arrangements with her”, Matt suggested, the buck nodding at the suggestion the fox had made.

“Alright”, Thrandeer replied. “I will send word for you if we need you again. Now get going”, he said and began walking pass them, looking towards Jenny as he passed by. “I thank you, Jenny”, he thanked the rabbit before turning away from them, walking along the back alley as the two watch him leave. They remain there in silence for about ten seconds before the fox shifts his gaze at the rabbit.

“Lets go”, Matt said calmly towards the rabbit. “We'll stop by our houses first and grab everything we'll need for our trip there. Clothes, school supplies, food, you name it”, he added before turning her back towards her and kneeling down, raising his arms backwards and ready for her to get on his back. She turns to face him and nods with understanding before climbing onto his back, placing the folded kimono between his back and her breasts. The fox wraps his legs around her thighs simultaneously to her wrapping her arms around his neck. Now it was time to get the hell out of there.

With the fox having a secured hold on Jenny, he immediately stands up and began sprinting away from the sight, not caring if his body began to sweat from having carried her for most of the trip. As they fled towards the parking garage, a few more explosions began going off within the town along with hearing the cries of many residents around the area. To him, it was practically hell on earth for all he knew, and it looks like the chaos wasn't gonna end anytime soon.

The trip to the parking garage wasn't too long, having only taken about twenty minutes to get there on foot. Fortunately, the hand of fate played on their side when not a single member of the Neo-Shinsengumi or any of the Neo-Shogunate armies or local law enforcement was in sight. Although that was the case, they have encountered almost three dozen bodies of many clan members and extremists, including some of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan as well. As soon as they arrived to the lot, the fox sets Jenny down and grabs the keys to his car, unlocking the doors with the press of a button. Matt and Jenny rush towards the driver and passenger side doors respectively and buckle themselves in almost immediately, the fox placing the keys into the ignition and turning the key forward. With a growl of the car's engine, the fox presses on the gas pedal and drives out of the parking lot, their sights set on both of their houses to gather supplies. Thus, the fox and rabbit manage to escape the downtown area of Kawasabus, with half of the city now wreathing in flames.

* * *

 

_**Kawasabus Police Department, the next morning** _

A lone Shiba Inu occupies the office jail cell inside the Kawasabus Police department, with nothing but his shamisen in his possession. But this wasn't no ordinary mammal, however. No, this mammal was none other than Takasugi Shinsaku, leader of the neo-kiheitai. His attire practically of a tank top along with a pair of hakama pants, all of them in white. Right now, he was sitting on the floor next to the bed attached to the wall, looking down at the floor with a discontent look on his face, not only of his imprisonment, but from the news he had heard from the radio in the office. Yet aside from those, one thing was constantly coursing his mind.

Uno, his consort, his sheath, his love, the only mammal that is currently crossing his mind. Oh how he missed her presence and the calm tranquility she bore with her. And much like him, there was one thing he knew for certain…

“Damn… Uno will surely miss me…” Takasugi said to himself following a calm sigh, not having expected this to happen at all. But then his eyes briefly widen and leans his torso forward, covering his mouth with his right hand-paw, with an endless series of violent, wheezing coughs escaping his muzzle. Uno may not be there to fill the silence, but it seems his disease shall remain with him, slowly eating his life away with harsh, audible coughs.


	12. Winding Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Minor Tweaks made and slight reformating

_ **Winding Down** _

  


All of Kawasabus has practically plunged itself into chaos after the at the Neo-Shinsengumi and various other clans aligned to the Neo-Shogunate began attacking the opposing clans, or extremists as they call them, all across town. Blood had been shed across the downtown portion of the rural town, with the bodies of anti-shogunate clans, Neo-Shinsengumi, even some of the civilians and local authorities, scattered across town. Many districts continue to burn heavily to the ground like wildfire despite the strong efforts the local firefighters are doing to put them out. For those who survived the attack, most of the survivors fled during and after the chaotic scene. The ones who stayed either forced to submit themselves to the newly reformed Neo-Shogunate government in Kawasabus, or commit seppuku before the Neo-Shogunate government officials.

Fortunately for both Matt Wilde and Jenny Bunni, both of them manage to escape without being seen on the road, nor during the stops they've made at their homes. As they made their stops at their homes, both the fox and rabbit gathered everything they needed such as clothes, school items, food, bottled water, even toiletries for the road. After grabbing everything they've needed, the two mammals immediately flee from the burning town and head for the highway. But now they face a huge problem…

Traffic. Pure, unwanted traffic. Although the fox and rabbit managed to expect this beforehand, they did not expect traffic to get backed up to the point where it was literally a fucking parking lot. Tonight was not their night, despite having managed to escape from Kawasabus themselves. But with how traffic was bad, both of them figured most, if not all, had come from Kawasabus much like them. Tonight was gonna be a long night for the two, that was for sure.

Several hours pass, and the duo hardly managed to get out of the Kawasabus city limits. God how excruciating the wait was, having been several accidents or alterations that happened on the road because of the Kawasabus residents trying to escape. Now they had gotten themselves out of that god forsaken traffic, both mammals were dead tired. Dead, fucking tired. But regardless of their tired state, both of them continue to drive away from the town to distance themselves away from the rural city in flames.

Another two hours manage to pass and the two manage to discover a cheap motel on the right side of the road, in the middle of nowhere. Although New Otsu was another couple hours away, Matt was no longer in the right condition to drive, his eyes barely staying open within the past half hour. Parking the car in one of the available parking spaces as he did, both he and Jenny exit the car and approach the office, bringing only their toiletries, a couple pairs of clothes, and their weapons just in case.

Getting their key was fortunately quick for the two tired mammals, both Jenny and Matt quickly, though tiredly, make their way to the set of stairs outside and head to their room on the second floor. Matt immediately unlocks the door and steps inside the hotel, the rabbit following him inside and closing the door behind her. They didn't care about having a shower one bit. Getting out of their clothes as they did and changing into a clean pair of sleeping garments, the two flop onto the bed and allows the comforts of sleep to overtake their bodies.

* * *

 

Roughly eight hours later, the two began to awaken from the bed they had shared and look towards each other, their eyes widening and not expecting to be in each other's embrace. Both mammals quickly back away from one another with heavily flustered looks on their face.

“Sorry!” both Matt and Jenny apologized simultaneously, the two mammals sitting back to back from one another with embarrassed looks on their faces. Both of them calm down after a minute of pure, awkward silence, the fox turning towards Jenny with a much calmer look on his face.

“You go on ahead and take a shower. I'll take one once you finish”, Matt said calmly, his face not as flustered as it once was, but nevertheless it was still faintly noticeable. The rabbit nods towards him in response before hopping off the bed, walking into the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

As the sound of water hitting the shower walls began to fill the entire motel room, the fox stands up onto his feet-paws and walks towards the window next to the door. He moves the blinds and began taking a look around for any members of the Neo-Shinsengumi or any other Neo-Shogunate armies in the area. Fortunately for him, no armies or groups from such factions weren't in sight. Nonetheless, he continues to remain at that spot for the next twenty minutes, sitting there like a guard on morning patrol. The allotted time passes almost quickly and the sounds of running water cease into silence, obviously meaning the rabbit had finished her shower. The fox stands up and grabs a clean pair of his clothing, turning his attention towards the shower before beginning to walk towards the door. But after only taking a few steps, he immediately stops on his tracks upon seeing the sight before him.

Standing about six feet away from him was Jenny Bunni, her fur dried off and her long, dark blonde/dark brown hair damp. But instead of her hair bring tied back like it usually was, her hair was completely free from any ponytail or any other hair binding product for that matter, Her hair was free to its entirety, her straight hair bearing a slight, natural volume to it. Her torso was covered with a tight fitting, sapphire blue T-shirt with an orange fox head shaped design on the chest area. A pair of midnight sanded blue short denim shorts cover her curvy hips and the upper part of her thighs tightly, showing of her curves in fine detail. Lastly, a pair of black open toe boots cover her feet-paws, the same pair she had worn last night during the attacks.

“I'm finished”, Jenny said to the fox, with Matt nodding and beginning to walk towards the bathroom, grabbing a clean pair of his clothes on the way there. The bunny takes a seat on the right side of the bed and grabs a ponytail from her bag of toiletries. But right as she took it out of the bag, Matt approaches the door and turns towards the rabbit.

“Hey Jen”, Matt began, the rabbit ceasing her actions and turns her attention towards the fox curiously. “I… I like the way your hair looks right now. It looks great”, the fox finished with a soft smile on his face, referring how her hair was not tied back like it usually was (except for her long bangs, of course). The bunny began blushing at his comment and brushes the left side of her face, her hair being pushed to the back a bit and moving forward when her hand-paw moved away from her face. She nods upon hearing the comment right before the fox enters the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a 'click'.

The sounds of water constantly hitting the shower walls began to fill both the bathroom and the motel room, albeit faintly inside of the motel room. As the vulpine was currently showering, the bunny stands up from the bed and gathers her belongings, walking towards the door places them next to the motel room entrance. Now that her belongings were gathered, the bunny walks to the bed and takes a seat on the mattress, grabbing her phone from the dresser and started checking for any messages she might've received. She didn't receive any text messages from any of her friends, but she did notice a lot of articles regarding the Kawasabus attacks and the fires that were set ablaze in the town on Furbook and Tweeter. Though this wasn't a surprise to her at all, but the caliber of the attacks and the number of casualties were still shocking.

Twenty minutes pass after Matt had entered the bathroom to take a shower, and now he was stepping out of the bathroom with a fresh set of clothing worn on his body. The dark gray, short sleeve under armor athletic V-neck shirt he wore fit tightly around his torso, which fit tight enough to show much of his muscle definition. His shirt was tucked inside of his black cargo pants much similarly to the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe boots. A pair of samurai bracers cover his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, with black cloth fingerless gloves covering his hand-paws.

“Alright, Jen, lets get going”, Matt said calmly before walking towards the left side of the bed, grabbing his belongings and placing both his twenty six inch bladed katana and his sixteen inch bladed wakizashi on the left side of his waist. With his belt securing the weapons with ease, the fox grabs his belongings and walks towards the door, the bunny following suit and grabbing her belongings on the way out.

With the two mammals out of the motel room, the rabbit locks the door behind her after closing the door, using her key to lock the door before hand it to Matt. The fox walks towards the office quickly and unlocks the car for Jenny so she could place her belongings inside the car. Entering the office as he did, he returns the keys to the owner before paying the appropriate amount of money with the use of his debit card, due to lack of bills. Regardless of the risk he would take with getting tracked by the Neo-Shinsengumi or any of the Neo-Shogunate armies, he was grateful he at least had enough money to pay for the room and then some. Matt quickly exits the office and ran towards his Dodge Challenger, placing his bag inside of the back seat of his car before shutting the door. But before he opens the driver's side of the seat, both he and Jenny quickly notice a pair of bunnies walking out of a first floor motel room. But as they looked at the two, Jenny immediately recognizes them both, although Matt only recognized the female.

Stu Hopps and his seventeen year old daughter, Judy Hopps, had stayed at the motel on the way back to Kawasabus last night after making a delivery to New Otsu, the same town Jenny and Matt were evacuating to. Stu was dressed in a pair of blue denim overalls with an orange collared T-shirt underneath. On his head was a green baseball cap with a white, rectangular shaped patch bearing a carrot on it sewn on the front of the hat. Judy Hopps was dressed in a pair of sanded blue skinny jeans with a slight bootcut on the leg openings, which showed off her curves rather well. Her top consisted of a short-sleeved teal shirt with lavender on the lower art of her sleeves and lower portion of her shirt. As they were walking towards the motel office, Judy turns to her left and notices Jenny, her eyes widening much like her smile did.

“Jenny!” Judy exclaimed right as she darts straight towards her friend, jumping into a tender hug immediately after getting to Jenny despite having accidentally knocked her onto the concrete ground. The English born rabbit couldn't help but giggle at Judy's actions, the fox rubbing the back of his head sheepishly with his right hand-paw.

“Its great to see you again, lass”, Jenny replied, standing up onto her feet-paws after being knocked backwards by accident. “How have you been?” she asked right as Stu enters the office to turn in the keys and pay for their overnight stay. Judy began to frown slightly towards her question before letting a soft sigh escape her mouth.

“Pretty hectic to say the least, especially after a four hour drive from Kawasabus to New Otsu”, Judy answered almost bluntly, but soon began to smile to lighten the mood. “But at least we can say we had a good night's sleep. What about you?” she asked, with Matt and Jenny turning towards each other slowly and looking at one another for a moment. Then they turn back towards Jenny with calmly worried expressions on their faces.

“Pure hell”, both Jenny and Matt answered simultaneously right as Stu exits the office and began walking towards the trio.

“What do you mean?” Judy asked with a cocked brow, her expression becoming curious and perhaps concerned with the way they answered her question.

“Wait… you haven't heard about what happened?” Jenny asked, the Bunnyburrow born rabbit shaking her head in response, with Stu finally reaching the group and gazing towards his daughter.

“What are you talking about?” Stu asked, causing the trio to turn towards the fatherly rabbit who had arrived only a second ago. “What happened while we were gone?” he asked again right before Matt and Jenny look towards one another briefly before turning towards him.

“Well…” Jenny began, but turns to face Matt with a concerned look on her face, not out of what the killings last night, but with how to answer the question. The fox nods with understanding before turning towards Stu.

“Kawasabus has gone straight to hell”, Matt answered, both Judy and Stu shifting their attention to the muscular fox. “Several extremist clans began attacking the city and literally set half of the town on fire”, he added, which that immediately caused the eyes of both Stu and his daughter to widen unexpectedly.

“Kawasabus was _**attacked**_ last night?!” Judy and Stu simultaneously exclaimed with unexpected shock, both the fox and the English born bunny giving the Hopps a nod.

“Yes”, Jenny replied before walking towards them slowly, her hand-paws being placed on Judy's left shoulder and Stu's right. “And you both need to get out of Kawasabus while you can. I don't want anything happen to you guys if things got worse”, she urged with a genuinely worried tone, her expression matching the tone of her voice. Both Judy and Stu look at each other for a moment before looking back at the English rabbit in front of them. Stu opens his mouth as he was about to speak, but a fox's hand-paw being placed on his left shoulder stops him from speaking. The male bunny's eyes shift towards Matt's own pair.

“Jenny's right”, Matt said calmly, his expression being neutrally concerned. “I understand you're trying to make money for your family back in Bunnyburrow, but you need to get out of here before shit hits the fan”, the fox claimed with a serious tone in his voice, although did his best to say it as understanding as possible, which he honestly understood Stu needing to make some extra cash for his family. Stu, on the other hand, wasn't really buying it, especially since he was bearing an annoyed frown on his face.

“And why would I trust the words coming out of an untrustworthy f-” Stu began, but an annoyed slap to his right arm immediately stopped him from finishing. The fatherly rabbit was about to say something towards his daughter, but a furious look on her face, especially with a fire building inside of her eyes. Those eyes of hers definitely knew how to stop him dead on his tracks. With a soft shrug, the rabbit shakes his head and turns towards the fox, who bore a neutral look on his face. “Anyways, we can't just leave Kawasabus in the middle of a business trip…” the male bunny claimed following a stressed sigh. “But tell you what, the least we can do is keep the option in mind”, he finished and turns towards Jenny, giving her a brief hug before walking towards his Hopps Family Farm truck, which was four parking spaces away from Matt's car. Shortly after her father left, Judy wraps her arms around Jenny's neck and rests her head on her right shoulder.

“Please, take care, Jenny”, Judy said with a slightly worried tone, yet bore a soft, confident smile towards her friend before rushing towards the truck where her father was. Quickly entering the truck and buckling herself in the passenger's seat, the two bunnies drive out of the parking lot and towards Kawasabus. Jenny and Matt remain at the places they stand and watch the two Hopps depart towards the town they were fleeing from, with the fox placing his right hand-paw onto her left shoulder when the moment passed.

“Lets go”, Matt said calmly before opening the driver's side door, with the English born rabbit doing the same by going to the passenger's side. As soon as the two were buckled in and the keys were in the ignition, Matt twists the key forward and drives out of the parking lot, heading towards the direction where Judy and Stu had came from. Thus, their journey to New Otsu resumed.

The drive there was fortunately light for the duo, especially to the fact there was no traffic and even a lack of cops as well. And with a lack of cops on the road, that allowed the fox to drive roughly ten to twenty miles over the speeding limit. What would've taken another two hours to get to New Otsu now only took about an hour and a half to get to the town's city limits. And now that they had arrived to new Otsu, their destination was just within sights.

The house that came to sight was a good two stories tall, the architecture being strongly influenced by Japanese culture. Hell, the house could've been mistaken for a small shrine from the distance, but a beautifully crafted one at that. As they drew closer to the house, they notice Lake Erie was only within a short distance from the house, with a dock fifty yards behind the house, with a medium sized fishing yacht anchored at the dock. The boat itself bore black and white colors, with a front deck big enough for several mammals to set up some chairs and go fishing if they chose. Like the house, the boat was also about two stories, with the top portion of the ship being an upstairs lounging area for other mammals to relax.

After another moment of driving, Matt pulls up to the driveway and parks the Challenger next to a lavender colored, 2009 Hounda Civic before killing the ignition to his car, pulling the keys out and keeping them in his grip. Both he and Jenny step out of the car and starts walking towards the front door, noticing a three acre garden next to the left side of the house. For the most part, the earthly soils were untouched aside from a few crops consisting of carrots, blueberries, and daikon radishes. But now it was time to enter the house. Looking over his keys as he did, Matt grabs the one that unlocks the front door to his aunt's house, much to Jenny's surprise.

“You have a key to your aunt's house?” Jenny asked with a cocked brow, the fox turning his head towards the bunny on his right.

“Yeah, she had one made for me in case I needed to come here for whatever reason”, Matt answered with a calm chuckle. “But I hardly ever came here except when I needed to check up on aunt Tomoe or if something happened within the clan that pissed me off to a certain level. Fortunately that rarely happened”, he calmly continued, sticking the key into the lock on the doorknob and twisting the key ninety degrees to the left. He moves the key ninety degrees to the right and pulls it out, doing the same with the top lock quickly before opening the door. With the front door opened, the fox and rabbit enter the house right as the fox pulls the house key out. And what a sight it was to behold.

The interior of the house was much like Jenny's former home in terms of the coloration and color scheme, with a few minor differences. One of them is the color of he furniture matched the different shades and tints of brown, yet were brighter and perhaps more saturated depending on which room they were in. Two Shoji doors can be seen from the living room, one leading towards the kitchen and the other the backyard. Two light brown colored futons can be seen in the living room, one set up horizontally and the other vertically on the right side of the room, along with a rectangular glass coffee table in front of them. A roller night stand rests next to the futon on the right, the corner of the room, with a lamp resting on top of it to provide light. About a few yards away from the front door, a carpeted staircase can be seen leading to the second floor. But now that they were mentioned, two footsteps can be heard coming from the top of the stairs, and Matt already knew who it was. And looking at the top of the stairs confirmed his suspicions.

The owner of the house was Matt Wilde's aunt, Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde, a three foot nine inch tall vixen bearing fur colors identical to Matt's own, along with a pair of C-cup breasts. She was about the age of forty five, yet thanks to a healthy diet and a good exercise routine, she barely looks the age of twenty seven. Unlike the other surviving relatives Matt has, she did not bear any fur matching hair at all. In fact, her long hair was of a jet black color, which was partially tied back with the use of a white ponytail. Again, unlike the other Wildes, her eyes were of a similar color to her hair, though in the right lighting, her eyes actually reveal to be a dark red color. Her attire consists of a white, slim fitting kimono with a red kimono shirt underneath, along with a pair of geta sandals.

As soon as the vixen was nearly at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes slightly widen upon seeing both her nephew and the bunny he had brought with him. Nevertheless, she smiles softly before walking towards him.

“Oh, Matt! I didn't expect to see you this morning”, Tomoe said with a surprised tone, walking towards him and giving the younger, taller fox a gentle hug. “How have you been?” she asked while pulling away from the hug to look at his face. And upon seeing his face, she noticed he bore a calmly serious one at that.

“Well, I'm alive, that's for sure”, Matt replied with a soft shrug before placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets. “But unfortunately, I have some bad news”, the fox claimed, but before he could begin explaining, the vixen raises her right hand-paw up to stop him from talking.

“There's no need to tell me, Matt. Thrandeer called last night and told me about the situation. Though I must admit I was kind of expecting you to get here last night instead of this morning”, Tomoe admitted, a slight chuckle leaving the male fox's muzzle.

“Blame traffic for that”, Matt and Jenny replied, although given the circumstances, they weren't surprised that they would get stuck in traffic last night. Tomoe merely smiles softly and lets out a soft sigh.

“Either way, it doesn't matter, as long as you got here safely”, Tomoe replied and shifts her attention towards the bunny shortly after her response. “And you must be Jenny Bunni. Matt's been telling me all about you over the past couple weeks”, the vixen greeted with a bow. “My name is Tomoe, and it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance”.

“Likewise, Tomoe”, Jenny replied with a respectful bow. Tomoe gently smiles at the rabbit before grabbing her keys from the key rack.

“I would love to talk with you more, but I have to head to work this morning”, Tomoe said before walking out the front door, but before closing it, she turns towards the duo behind her. “Also, if you can sometime today, can you chop up some wood?” she asked, the male fox nodding once at the vixen. “Thank you. And feel free to make yourselves at home”, and with those last words, the vixen closes the door behind her and continues with her business. And with the vixen heading out of the residence, both the fox and rabbit head out of the house and to the car, where they began unloading their belongings from the vehicle and taking them into the house. Now it was time for the two to get settled in the new residence, intending to lay low until the madness in Kawasabus began dying off or for the Ishin-Mirkwood and Neo-Kiheitai to overthrow the Neo-Shogunate government.

* * *

 

_**Three hours later…** _

Getting their belongings unpacked and organized in the living room had practically been time consuming, since there was a lack of dressers inside. But regardless, the fox and rabbit manage to get everything organized and ready for use, keeping their things separate from one another to avoid making a mess in the room their belongings occupied. And the very moment they had finished, both of them were in need of one thing: a much needed nap, which they both graciously took as soon as they finished.

A few hours later, both Jenny and Matt were tending to house chores to keep the amount of housework Tomoe usually does to a minimal. Jenny took care of kitchen duty while Matt was chopping cylindricalblocks of wood in the backyard with the use of an ax. Loud 'chop' noises can be heard with each block of wood he chops in two, the two pieces hitting the ground on the left and right side of the tree stump he was using as a surface to chop wood on. He grabs a log and places it onto the wooden surface before raising the ax up high, only to vertically swing the ax with a strong, yet quick force.

**'Chop!'**

_A memory of f_ _ourteen year old Matt Wilde_ _began to play within his mind, recalling the events of his first kill. He performs_ _a deadly vertical slash that slice_ _s_ _a brown and white furred husky's head in half, cutting all the way down to the victim's upper part of his back before twisting the blade to the right. Blood began sp_ _illing across the earthly soil and some of the lush plants, painting the ground and the vegetation red._

The two halves of the log the vulpine cut lands on the left and right sides of the tree stump respectively. With the log chopped in half, he grabs another one and places it on top of the tree stump vertically. He raises the ax upward and swings it down towards the log with the sharp ends of the ax pointing towards the wood.

**'Chop!'**

_Another memory from the past began to play within his mind, this one happening roughly only a couple weeks ago. The memory recalled the time Matt had killed a tiger who Thrandeer claimed to be within the Orimakishu Ninja clan, and that night would be the last one the ninja_ _would ever remember. Matt slices the ninja's body from the upper right shoulder down towards the right side of his opponent's crotch, blood splattering out of the victim's body and spraying the bloodied contents throughout parts of the alle_ _y._

Again, just like before, the two halves of the log Matt had cut lands on the left and right sides of the tree stump. Now that the log was chopped in half, the fox grabs another one and places it on top of the tree stump in the same exact position. He raises the ax upward and swings it down towards the log with the sharp ends of the ax pointing at the flat surface of the log.

**'Chop!'**

_Again, another memory began to play inside of the fox's mind, this particular one taking place on the night of John Bellwether's assassination. The first kill in this one revolves around the death of Richard, one of John's guards. T_ _he fox pulls the sheath back and grabs the handle of his sword, pulling the blade out of its sheath and striking the wolf's right side with a horizontal slash. Placing the palm of his left hand-paw behind the back of his blade, the fox pushes the sword right through Richard's torso and horizontally slices the wolf in half, his dying body falling onto the floor and its bloody contents spraying out onto the concrete ground quickly._

_The second kill revolves around the second guard, Salazar._ _This part of the memory recalls how the lynx was about to attack him before_ _the fox's blade robbed Salazar of his attack, the lone vulpine piercing his katana right through his skull from the bottom of the lynx's jaw to the top of his head._ _But this particular part of the memory went by at a fast pace, Matt's sword only remaining pierced through Salazar's skull for only a short second before pulling_ _the sword_ _forward. The action_ _cut_ _s_ _right through his jaw and the front of his skul_ _l like it were only butter,_ _i_ _ts bloody contents spraying about rapidly right before the lynx's body collapses onto the ground._

For the third time in a row, the two halves of the log Matt had cut lands on the left and right sides of the tree stump. Now that the log was chopped in half, the fox grabs a fourth log and places it on top of the tree stump in the same position like the others. For the fourth time, he raises the ax upward and swings it down towards the log with the sharp ends of the ax pointing at the flat surface of the log.

**'Chop!'**

_The next memory takes place during February of 2007, where he, Iizuka, and Katagai were in the middle of slaughtering some of the enemy clans aligned with the Neo-Bakufu armies. Although Iizuka and Katagai did their parts in the battle, over half of the seventy were done by none other than Matt himself._ _He spots the ten remaining survivors and slashes and hacks one after another, slaughtering them until all of them lay dead on the ground._

With the fourth log chopped in half, the two halves of the log the fox sliced lands on the left and right sides of the tree stump. Now that the log was chopped in half, the fox grabs a fifth log and places it on top of the tree stump in the same position like the others. For the fifth time, he raises the ax upward and swings it down towards the log with the sharp ends of the ax pointing at the flat surface of the log.

**'Chop!'**

Right as the fox vertically chopped the fifth log in half, the back yard sliding shoji door opens to the left and allows the bunny to step out of the kitchen and into the back yard. She had just got done with her kitchen duties in the house, the fox stopping what he was doing upon hearing the rabbit exiting the house and closing the door behind her. He raises the ax up a bit with his right hand-paw and hits the tree stump with the front pointy end of the ax, making the ax stick diagonally upwards towards Matt's direction before turning to face the bunny.

“I finished taking care of the kitchen work. Sorry to keep you waiting”, Jenny said as she was locking the shoji door with a key Matt had given her prior to him chopping up some wood in the back yard. The fox smiles softly towards the rabbit before letting a chuckle escaping his muzzle.

“Don't worry about it, Jenny”, Matt replied with a reassuring tone right before he hovers his right hand-paws on top of his eyes, shielding his eyes enough to where he can look upward a bit without the sunlight hitting his eyes. “I've gotta say though, the sun's rather warm today”, he admitted, shifting his attention back towards the bunny and walking directly at her. “The wood will definitely dry well”, the fox added a moment before a light chuckle leaves his muzzle, the bunny nodding towards him with a soft smile forming on her lips.

With their work around the house finished, the bunny walks towards the fox and grabs his right hand-paw with her left. The fox blushes slightly from this, but he welcomed it nonetheless. His attention turns towards the backyard gate and began walking directly to it, the fox leading the rabbit towards the gate before opening the double doors. They exit the backyard through the gate they found before locking the double doors with the use of a chain and lock that was attached to the handles, wrapping the chain around them before attaching the lock through two of the chain's loopholes. With the gate locked, the two began walking along the path that lead directly through the woods, their hand-paws intertwined with one another.

They enter through the forest and began walking up a set of stairs leading to a lookout point, the point being located at the top of the cliff a good half a mile from where they were currently at. It takes them a good half hour to get to the point due to the pathway being long, but they manage to get to the top of the place without any trouble. And boy, what a sight it was they bestow upon, the two mammals sitting on top of the cliff and looking at the Great Lake that extends father than what the eye can see. The water reflects the sunlight in a manner just as beautiful as a sapphire gym. Speaking of which, the fox turns his gaze at the rabbit's sapphire blue eyes and smiles gently at her, the rabbit doing the same with the fox's jade green pair before leaning against his right arm gently. Matt's right arm wraps around her waist and pulls her into a tender hug, much like Jenny's arms wrap around the fox's lean waist.

They stayed at that spot for at least a good hour before they left the sight, now walking along a dirt path leading to town. Along the way, they passing by several local mammals, predator and prey alike, walking in the opposite direction. All of them were dressed in white sleeveless kimono shirts and hakama pants, with brown wooden geta footwear (Japanese sandals) being worn on their feet-paws. Lastly, all of the mammals wore takuhatsugasa kasa straw hats on their heads, being in various sizes to proportionately match their heads.

Roughly thirty minutes after passing by some of the locals in the area, they manage to arrive to the local outdoor shopping district, which was nearly identical to the shopping district in Kawasabus in terms of the set up. But instead of there being booths, there were actual shacks in the area that were roughly about the size of a huge living room, with goods being displayed either on tables or inside boxes and crates. For the most part, the items being sold at the shopping district were food products and other necessities, and perhaps the occasional entertainment stores and a couple weapon shops. But for this particular situation, both Matt and Jenny were browsing about to get themselves familiar with the town… that is until both of them spotted a food shack catching their interest.

Various food products can be seen throughout the shack, some of the fish hanging from the top racks along with some fish, fruit, and vegetation products being displayed on the table provided. The price tags were loosely places on top of the open crates between the cracks. Although they were secured on days that weren't windy, they were bound to be blown off of the crates easily if the winds of heavy enough. Speaking of heavy winds, they suddenly start blowing right through the area heavily, the fox shielding his body in front of Jenny to prevent some of the winds from hitting her. Unfortunately for a couple price tags loosely secured on the crates, they blew off of them easily and flow in the direction of the winds. But regardless of that, the rabbit couldn't help but smile softly towards the fox's gentlemen mannerisms.

* * *

 

About several hours later, at night time, Jenny, Matt, and Tomoe were currently eating inside of the living room with soft, peaceful harp music quietly playing over the living room's stereo system, with Jenny sitting between Matt and Tomoe. Matt and Tomoe were currently eating Japanese grilled fish with a side of brown rice and steamed daikon radishes while Jenny was eating a grilled Japanese sesame carrot salad with daikon radishes on the side. Although the meals they were eating had a good taste to them, Tomoe couldn't help but think there was something missing. Perhaps it has to do with what they might've not added while they were cooking their meals? Or perhaps…

“I apologize…” Tomoe apologized softly.

“Huh?” Jenny asked curiously while turning her head towards the vixen.

“What for?” Matt also asked while turning his head towards his aunt.

“I don't have the proper seasonings for the fish, nor for your salad, Jenny”, Tomoe explained, both the male fox and the female rabbit giving a soft, reassuring smile towards her.

“Eh, it doesn't need any, really”, Matt answered with a reassuring tone of voice.

“There's no need to apologize, Tomoe. Its fine the way it tastes”, Jenny also answered with a reassuring tone. Although the vixen felt better upon hearing their words, her expression said otherwise.

“But… without the seasoning, the fish hardly bear any flavoring in them”, Tomoe claimed before turning towards Jenny. “Same goes for your salad, without the right spices, even with sesame sauce, it still lacks flavor…” she added softly, slowly turning her attention back towards her meal before continuing to eat. Jenny and Matt turn to face each other momentarily before turning to the meals, also continuing to eat in silence.

Roughly about forty five minutes after eating their meals, both Jenny and Tomoe were in the kitchen taking care of the dishes, the vixen rinsing the dishes off in the sink and the rabbit placing them inside of the dishwasher. Matt, on the other hand, was keeping a watchful eye on the fireplace after having placed a few chopped logs inside of the fireplace. While earlier today may have been warm, a cold front had come through to the point where the fireplace was needed to be used. The fox leans forward and grabs the fireplace poker sitting in front of him, using it to poke the burning wood towards the back and igniting the fire enough to warm up the house efficiently. Cracking noises continue to escape the fireplace as the wood continues to burn peacefully, especially with the calming noise allowing him to think properly. Now that he was able to think in the peaceful cracking noise of the burning wood, an idea suddenly comes to mind.

“We should plant some crops for the spices”, Matt suggested, grabbing the attention of both Jenny and Tomoe as soon as the male fox brought up the suggestion.

“Huh?” both Jenny and Tomoe asked with curious tones of voice and matching expressions.

“Aunt Tomoe was able to grow some carrots, daikon radishes, and blueberries in the garden. I was thinking we could try and grow some spices out there as well”, Matt claimed, turning his head towards the two females with a calm smile on his face. “My grandfather on my Dad's side was an exceptional farmer. He taught my aunt and Dad how to grow crops when they were kits. I was thinking Jenny and I could be, too”, the fox claimed again, looking directly towards Jenny before nodding at her. She blushed slightly from the last part of his claim, but nevertheless smiles gently and nods at him. Tomoe looks at the two with a calm, almost blank expression on her face following a soft nod, focusing her attention on the dishes while the fox kept a close eye on the firewood.

Roughly an hour later, both Jenny and Matt were sleeping on the futon bed in the living room, with the bunny resting on the fox's body with her arms partially wrapped around his neck. Their breathing was soft and low in volume, much like the peaceful tranquility of night. Inside of Tomoe's room, however, the vixen was still wide awake, not having to work on the next day and allowing her to write in her own journal. She wrote in the journal for a good several minutes before opening the drawer underneath the surface of her desk, grabbing a concealed, circular mirror by the handle and taking it out of the drawer.

Now that the concealed mirror was out of her desk, the vixen pulls the cover off of the mirror and gazes her blank gaze directly at the reflection of her own face. She trails her right index finger over her corresponding mirror in a similar manner to how the scar on Matt's face looked, despite the reflection showing her trailing her finger on the left side to correlate the location of her nephew's scar. Tomoe closes the mirror with the cover and places it back inside of the drawer, closing it and standing up from her seat. Now was the time to catch some shut eye, especially after what they had planned for tomorrow. She walks towards her bed and lies down, her left hand-paw grabbing the covers and covering her body from the collarbone down. With her body covered, the vixen shuts her eyes and allows the comforts of sleep to overtake her weary body.

* * *

 

_**The Next Morning…** _

All was quiet within the residence, with the exception of the occasional grunt escaping Matt's muzzle, who was using a hoedad to help shape the soils from one of the unoccupied portions of the gardens. As he shaped the garden properly, both Jenny and Tomoe focus their attention on planting the seeds to the plants they would extract the spices from. Although the weather was a bit cool outside, the trio dress comfortably while being fairly light with their choice of clothes.

Matt Wilde himself was dressed in a black tank top that fit tightly around his muscular built torso, some of the muscle definition being apparent through his shirt. A pair of brown camouflage cargo shorts cover the bottom portion of his body from the lower part of his waist to just a few inches under his knees. A pair of black open toe boots occupy his feet-paws, and despite some of the dirt getting onto his toes from the garden work he was doing, he was comfortable wearing them.

For Jenny, a white, slim fitting T-shirt bearing the 'Hopps Family Farm' logo on the chest area covered her torso. Hell, the shirt was tight enough to where her breasts perked out noticeably enough to catch the attention of any man who passes by. A pair of sanded blue skinny bootcut fitting denim jeans cover her legs, the tight portions of her jeans shaping her curves much noticeably. Her feet-paws were entirely covered with a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor shoes, which conveniently enough prevented any of the dirt from dirtying her feet-paws.

As for Tomoe, a pink-red colored kimono shirt covers her torso through its entirely, the sleeves of the shirt being tucked inside of her dark blue colored samurai bracers, A pair of tan-gray colored hakama pants cover her legs, the leg openings being tucked into her dark blue colored open toe boots. Over her thighs was a white apron that bore the seedlings they were planting, which was convenient enough to hold them easily. Lastly, a white head cover covers her head almost entirely, with her bangs remaining exposed for the most part. The remaining portion of her long, tied back hair was covered in a white cloth to prevent the wind from blowing on it or possibly get any dirt on her hair. Whatever the reason, only she knew.

As the three mammals continue to work in the garden, unbeknownst to them, a dark gray 2009 Toyota Corolla Altis pulls up into the driveway and parks behind Matt's Dodge Challenger. The driver kills the ignition to the Corolla and steps out of the car, pressing the lock button on his keys twice to lock the car, a loud **'Beep! Beep!'** noise going off to signal the owner of the car the doors have been locked. If the sound of the engine or the rolling of the rubber tires didn't grab the trio's attention, the car's locking mechanism certainly did. The trio stop what they're doing and turn towards the owner of the car, both Matt and Jenny recognizing the all familiar face of the examiner of executions.

“Hello there, farmer boy!” the all familiar voice of Iizuka greeted with a wave while approaching the residence's occupants. The trio notice the articles of clothing he wore consists of a dark teal kimono shirt with a dark blue montsuki haori jacket over it, light khaki colored pants, and black open toe boots. On his head, he wore a straw kasa hat on his head to shield himself from the sunlight. Finally, a pair of black samurai bracers much like Matt's were worn over his forearms and cover the back of his hand-paws.

Several minutes after he had arrived, the trio were now sitting inside of the living room with green tea being made in the kitchen, courtesy of Tomoe. During the time she was making green tea, Iizuka left to his car to grab a couple of things from his trunk, grabbing what appears to be a fishing box along with a couple of fishing rods from it. The reason why he had brought those, they did not know why. However, he walks back into the house with the items and places them on the left side of the futon both Matt and Jenny had occupied. Speaking of the two, Jenny was currently resting her head on Matt's left arm right as Tomoe brings out three cups of freshly brewed green tea and placing them on the coffee table.

“Well, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you two were actually a couple”, Iizuka commented with a slight grin on his face, leaning forward and grabbing one of the cups of green tea with his unoccupied left hand-paw, since his right was carrying a smoking pipe. Tomoe turns away from the trio right after they gave her a thankful nod regarding the drinks she brewed before walking towards the back shoji door.

“I'll finish planting the remaining seedlings”, Tomoe said calmly before sliding the door to the right, exiting to the backyard and closing the door behind her, the three gazing towards the door she exited from shortly after she left.

“I hope I didn't say something offensive”, Iizuka calmly commented, gently biting on the end of the pipe and inhaling the burning plant inside of his lungs. Whether it was weed or tobacco, neither Matt or Jenny knew.

“No, you're fine”, Matt reassured, the tanuki taking the end of the pipe out of his mouth and exhaling the smoke through his mouth and nose. “What's the news?” he asked right as the examiner of executions grabs the ash tray from the table and gently flicks his pipe against it, dumping the burnt plant into the ash tray before turning his attention towards the fox.

“It's gone from bad to worse. The Neo-Shogunate is in complete control of the Ohio state government now and they're purging out all of the radicals and the extremists allied to us”, Iizuka explained, a soft, shocked gasp escaping the bunny's mouth upon hearing the news.

“Purging?” Matt asked with a cocked brow, gently wrapping his left arm around the rabbit's shoulders with a soothing gesture.

“The conservative factions of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan are forcing members of our rebellion to commit seppuku daily”, Iizuka further explained, standing up from his seat and taking a small sip of his tea before placing it on the coffee table. “All to put on a good face for the new rulers”, he continued while walking towards the window at the front of the house. “The streets of Kawasabus are slick with the entrails of our disgraced comrades”, the tanuki further commented regarding the current issue at hand, Jenny's eyes widened with shock upon hearing the news and Matt remaining calm about the whole ordeal, though on the inside was just as shocked as the rabbit was. “Still, it keeps the Neo-Shogunate from declaring all out war on the clan, so I suppose some good could come of it”, he continued as he grabs the curtains concealing the windows and gently opening them, watching Tomoe grabbing a couple of gardening supplies from the shed near the driveway. “Right now, we're trying to get Takasugi our of police captivity. If he can revive the Neo-Kiheitai, then the rebellion will rise again”, he finished and closes the curtains to the living room windows.

“Where's Thrandeer? Have you heard from him yet?” Matt asked.

“No one has heard or seen him since the trouble in Kawasabus”, Iizuka began, bearing a stern expression on his face and continues to gaze at the window in front of him. “We can only assume he's turned coward and gone into hiding” the tanuki answered, a surprised expression forming on his face with furrowed brows.

“He wouldn't!” Matt exclaimed almost in dismay, yet bore a calm enough tone to keep calm and collected.

“Unfortunate, but true”, Iizuka replied while turning to face the fox, his left hand-paw reaching inside of his pocket and grabbing something from it. “The best thing we can do right now is sit tight”, the tanuki added and pulls out a money clip from his pocket. The money clip itself had about a couple dozen hundred dollar bills, a dozen fifties, ten twenties, and five tens. “I've brought some money for you, courtesy of Katagai”, he said, throwing the money clip towards the fox, with Matt catching it with his right. He pulls the cash out of the clip and both he and Jenny were surprised to see the amount of money they were given, the amount of cash totaling three thousand, two hundred fifty dollars in cash. Iizuka turns towards the fishing equipment before Matt and Jenny turn towards the equipment on the left side of the futon they occupied. “The fishing box and rods are for you as well, something you could use to catch some fish to sell since you're both practically by Lake Erie”.

“Catching fish to sell?” Both Jenny and Matt ask simultaneously.

“You need a visible source of income so you won't draw anyone's suspicion”, Iizuka claimed.

“But no one knows we live up here”, Matt replied while turning his head towards the tanuki.

“With the climate as unstable as it is now, along with fishing season drawing closer to its peak, I think its a good idea to play it safe”, Iizuka commented. “Besides, you can use the money Katagai gave you to buy whatever extra supplies you may need to kick-start your business”, the male added before grabbing his phone and checking the time, only to place it back inside of his pocket and beginning to walk towards the front door. Both Matt and Jenny stand up from their seats and follow him out the door.

“Iizuka, you know you and the others can call me if you need me to lessen the Neo-Shogunate's numbers”, Matt suggested, the rabbit turning to face him with a pair of slightly widened eyes. But with a reassuring arm wrapping around her waist, she manages to calm down as the trio walk outside. In the distance, Tomoe looks at the trio and ceases her actions, a soft sigh leaving her muzzle as her eyes now focused curiously on the three of them.

“I can appreciate your willingness to help, but Kawasabus is too dangerous”, Iizuka replied with a slight hint of concern in his voice. “The Neo-Shinsengumi and the clans aligned to them are slaughtering our soldiers by the hundreds”, he added right before lowering his straw kasa hat slightly. “Plus they're still looking for you, so stay here and enjoy the peace and quiet”, the tanuki continued. “We'll send a text or give you a call as soon as we need you”, he claimed and turns towards the vixen within the distance. “Take care, Tomoe!” the tanuki said to her and shifts his gaze at the bunny. “And take care as well, Jenny. Hope you enjoy being Matt's girlfriend”, and with those last words, the tanuki turns away from them and heads towards his car, both Matt and Jenny now bearing heavily flustered blushes on both their faces. They turn towards each other with a pair of wide eyes momentarily before turning away from each other, rubbing their own heads with their right hand-paws sheepishly.

Iizuka presses the unlock button to his car twice before opening the door to his vehicle, stepping inside and placing the keys into the ignition slot. He turns the key forward with his right hand-paw and uses his left to close the door. The engine roars as loud as a sports car revving up for the next street race, illegal or not. And just as quick as he started the car did he pull out of the driveway, turning towards the direction where Kawasabus lies. A smirk slightly forms on his face unbeknownst to the occupants of the house he left, the purpose of it known to no one but the tanuki himself.


	13. A Night to Remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lemons will be seen in this chapter. Reader's discretion is advised
> 
> Edit: Minor adjustments were made to help polish this chapter a bit.

_ **A Night to Remember** _

  


Everything at the Wilde residence in New Otsu was quiet, with the exception of the crickets cricking at the night, and the cawing of the crows and ravens in the trees. The harvest crescent moon shines down upon the great lake beautifully, with there being enough light to shine down upon the lake's clear waters and reflect like a mirror. And on this peaceful night, Tomoe was currently sitting on the back porch tending to a few Iris flowers she had bought from the flower vender earlier that night. The vixen's attire consists of a gray tank top along with a pair of violet hakama sleeping pants. She pauses for a brief moment and turns towards her left, her eyes gazing towards her muscular nephew calmly, a soft smile forming on her face at the sight of her peaceful relative.

Speaking of Matt Wilde, he was currently sitting inside of the house with his attention focused on the fishing equipment he had received from Iizuka earlier that day. My far, he had already organized the hooks, fishing wire, lures, reels, bait, fishing nets to capture and secure the fish, even a GPS device that can help track fish easier with. Either way, he manages to organize everything without any issue, and was currently working on applying some fishing wire through the circular loops of the fishing rods.

The fox was currently dressed in a pair of black pajama pants with green camouflage stripes on the sides of them, giving the pants a slight military style to them. While the pants themselves were baggy in terms of the fit, his dark cerulean blue tank top said otherwise. In fact, the tank top was tight enough to show most of the musculature on his torso, especially the strongly chiseled abs he had. A pair of black samurai bracers were worn on his forearms and covered the back of his hand-paws.

After taking a good several minutes to get all of the fishing lines through the loopholes, along with attaching a few lures onto the ends of the threads, the fox gently places the fishing rods against the wall across from the futon. He walks towards the back shoji doors and walks outside, gazing towards the lake that was roughly a good fifty yards away from the backyard itself. And as he gazes at the beauty of the lake, he notices Jenny sitting on the sandy shores of Lake Erie. He makes his way towards the shores by heading out of the residence through the backward gate, closing it behind him right after leaving the residence.

Within a matter of seconds, the fox reaches the bunny and looks directly at her, seeing the rabbit sitting down in fetal position. He noticed Jenny was dressed in similar clothing much like his own, with a few distinctions. For instance, while her bottoms were black with camouflage stripes on the side, the fox noticed her bottoms were a pair of short nylon shorts. Her tank top was also the same color as his own, yet unlike his, she bore a fox head design on the chest area of her shirt. Though now that the chest area was mentioned, the neckline of her tank top was low enough to reveal a tasteful amount of her DD-cup cleavage. But that wasn't why he was here. No, he came by her with the intention to keep her company. He takes a seat next to her and rests the palms of his hand-paws against the sandy soils, bending his left leg upward before looking up at the crescent moon in the skies above.

“Its been a long time since I've watched the harvest moon, even if its a crescent one”, Matt commented softly, a soft smile forming on his muzzle. The rabbit's turns to her left and gazes at the fox for a moment, seeing a peaceful expression on his face, before turning back to face the moon. But her eyes wouldn't stare at the moon for long, her head lowering enough to where her jaw rests on top of her knees.

“Yeah… and now we have the time”, Jenny replied following a soft sigh escaping her mouth. Her eyes close for a prolonged moment and turns her head directly at Matt, who was sitting on the left. “Matt, I keep wondering about our living arrangement… how long do you think they'll let us live up here?” she asked, curious and a bit worried regarding the actions of the clan the fox was involved in.

“Until the rebellion is renewed. That's all I know for now”, Matt answered before leaning back against the sandy shores like it were a bed, placing his hand-paws behind his head like a pillow. His eyes gaze upward to the night sky and slowly began to close, a content smile remaining on his muzzle. He was in peace right now, with himself and the environment around him. His eyes close within a few seconds and takes a deep breath through his nose. But as he exhales through his nose, the fox felt something rest on his right pectoral, opening his eyes and noticing the rabbit resting her head on his chest. A content sigh escapes his mouth before wrapping his right arm around the rabbit's torso gently.

The two mammals continue to lie down in a gentle embrace for at least a good half an hour, Jenny's arms having wrapped around the fox's muscular torso tenderly. The fox had occasionally took a glimpse with the stars above, especially with how clear the night sky was and how the stars can be seen as clear as day. But that wasn't the only thing that caught his eye. In fact, he occasionally took a glimpse at the sleeping bunny in his embrace. She looked peaceful in her sleep. Hell, he had to admit she looked cute when she slept. If 'cute' wasn't a derogatory term towards bunnies (when other animals call bunnies 'cute' except from each other), he would definitely tell her how cute she looked when she slept. But hey, I guess some things, positive and negative alike, are best left unsaid, right?

When the half hour had passed, the fox slowly leans his torso upward without waking the sleeping bunny. There was no way he was gonna disturb her from her comfortable slumber, but there was also no way he and Jenny would be sleeping outside without a tent. Suddenly, an idea pops into his mind! The fox wraps his left arm under her legs and his right arm under the upper part of her back, standing up onto his feet-paws and taking her back to the house. The way he carried her was almost like a groom carries his bride after their wedding. Wait a sec, why did he make such a comparison? Nevertheless, he chuckles lightly and opens the wooden gate to the backward with the use of his left hand-paw, only to use his tail to close it with a slightly loud 'clank'. Both of them are in need of rest for tomorrow, especially now they have to start making money to avoid suspicion from any possible Neo-Shogunate armies or clans aligned with them.

* * *

 

_**The Next Day** _

All was relatively silent at Lake Erie, with the exception of the occasional chirping of the birds. Practically nothing but a two story yacht occupies the great lake's waters, which was roughly several miles away from the shore near Tomoe's residence. The occupants on the medium sized yacht were both Jenny Bunni and Matt Wilde, both of whom were here for one thing: getting their fishing business started to help avoid suspicion from the Neo-Shogunate authorities. But first thing was first, they needed to catch some fish in order to actually get the fishing business going!

Earlier that day, both Jenny and Matt attended their first day at New Otsu High School thanks to Thrandeer having gotten them registered at school sometime while Matt and Jenny were getting settled at the safe house. Fortunately for Matt, he didn't have to serve the suspension he was given at his previous high school thanks to Thrandeer having left that part out during registration (much to Matt's relief). But if anything were to surprise the two was the fact they literally had every single class together, especially gym class. The reason behind that was unknown to the two, aside from the mammal who got them registered for school.

The instant school let out for the day, the duo immediately drove back to their safe house and gathered the fishing equipment to start their first day as part time fisher mammals. They change out of the clothes they wore at school and dressed into something more appropriate for the job. For instance, Matt was now dressed in only a gray tank top and a pair of black cargo swimming trunks with cerulean blue stripes on the sides, with a pair of shades covering his eyes to keep the sun out of them. As for Jenny, she was dressed in a purple tank top with a pair of midnight black nylon shorts with white stripes on the sides of them. One thing the two shared in common was the fact neither one of them chose to wear any shoes for their first day on the job. Then again, for this particular case, who would need them when fishing is involved.

Roughly about an hour after they began, the two were not having any luck on catching any fish whatsoever. Although the fishing GPS helped provide a valuable location, none of the fish in the area seemed to be taking any of the bait. Matt was currently keeping an eye on the two fishing rod and reels that were laying against the railing of the front deck. As for Jenny, she had went inside to take care of something. What it was, the fox didn't know.

“Damn… so far we haven't caught a damn thing”, Matt spoke to himself softly following a shrug, standing up from his blue reclining beach arm chair and walking towards the left side of the front deck. “Perhaps the nets might have some-” the fox began until his ears flicker to the sound of the boat door opening nearby. He turns to his left and his eyes immediately widen at the astonishing sight before him.

Jenny had just come out of the first floor of the yacht holding a folded tanning sun reflector with her right hand-paw and a glass of water with her left. But that wasn't what caught his eye, however. What caught his eye was the articles of clothing she now wore. The bunny was now sporting a string bikini that bore the UK flag on them. The tasteful top bore the top portions of the flag while her tasteful bikini bottoms bore the bottom portion of the flag. My how that two piece fit her curves perfectly, along with how they pressed against her breasts almost tightly. And as his eyes remain fixed upon her, a heavy blush began forming on his face, one that became noticeable to the bunny almost quickly. She giggles slightly as soon as she saw the flustered look on his face, and she already knew why.

“Aw, is my foxy woxy enjoying what he sees?” Jenny asked with a playful tone before slowly swaying her hips and walking towards her orange reclining beach arm chair, which was right next to Matt's seat on the left side.

“I-I… um…”Matt stuttered, his blush becoming heavier much like his eyes widening when she swayed her hips like that. But when she bent over to set her beverage and the tanning sun reflector next to her chair, his blush flusters heavier at the sight of her perfect, round tush of hers. He quickly turns away from her and grabs a hold of the net by the rope, focusing his attention on the fishing net instead of how his shorts were slowly, uncomfortably tightening around the crotch region. As he pulls the rope upwards, the fox's ears flicker to the sound of playful giggles coming from the bunny.

“He-he, you know I'm just teasing you, right”, Jenny replied with a tender chuckle before taking a seat on the recliner, grabbing a pair of shades and placing them over her eyes. He turns towards her with a flustered look on his face while she opens the folded tanning sun reflector.

“Yeah”, Matt replied with a calm tone of voice, despite the flustered look remaining on his face. Though now that teasing was being mentioned, a playfully sinister grin began forming on his muzzle. “Though two can play at this game, Jen”, he commented, catching the rabbit's attention almost immediately. By the time she removed her shades, the fox had managed to quickly remove his shirt and throw it right at his seat, thus revealing his strongly defined muscular torso to the rabbit.

“MATT!!” Jenny exclaimed unexpectedly, quickly covering her eyes with only her right arm. Though she couldn't help but sneak a couple of glances towards the fox's strongly defined muscular torso, something he was able to catch rather easily. And he couldn't help but chuckle teasingly while placing his hand-paws onto his waist, just under his oblique muscles.

“You know you can't resist this, Jen”, Matt replied before moving his left hand-paw towards his shades and moving them upward, winking playfully at the now heavily flustered rabbit nearby.

“Do I… know that?” Jenny asked, moving her arm away from her eyes and looking at the fox nearby. Her heart began pounding rapidly inside of her chest as she retains her gaze towards him. And surprisingly enough, she found herself standing up from her seat and walking towards him, a cheeky grin forming on her face and wrapping her arms around his waists. “Yes, yes I do”, she added, her sapphire blue eyes gazing directly towards Matt's jade green pair.

As their eyes remain locked on one another, her hand-paws unconsciously move up along the strongly defined abs, soon resting on the fox's fluffy neck tuft. Like Jenny, Matt's hand-paws unconsciously move towards her head and began to cup her cheeks, both of their faces becoming flustered towards their own actions. Jenny soon found herself standing onto her toes much like Matt leaning his head down towards hers, their eyes slowly closing as their mouths drew closer to each other. But when their mouths were only a few inches from one another, Matt's ears flicker upon hearing the sound of fast, repetitive clicking noises coming from one of the fishing rods. Both of them turn towards the right side of the front deck and barely notice the fishing wire from the left fishing pole moving rapidly, and that meant only one thing!

“We got ourselves our first catch!” Matt exclaimed and quickly sprints to the fishing pole, pulling the fishing rod up and grabbing the handle of the fishing reel. The fox immediately began rotating the handle of the reel counter-clockwise rapidly and pulling the fishing rod towards him. At first, the wire was lose due to the catch being far away. But all of the sudden, the wire tightens as soon as the wire was reeled in enough to pull the catch towards him. The front end of the fishing pole bends forward as the fox kept rotating the reel counter-clockwise rapidly, although slightly decreased in pace due to how much harder it became to reel in their first catch. And based on how hard it was becoming, the fox immediately knew their catch had to be a big one.

The closer the fox got to reeling in their catch, the harder it became, and the more effort he had to apply in order to continue reeling it in. The fox began to grit his teeth slightly, and the muscles on his arms began to flex noticeably before the rabbit, her eyes now shifting towards the veins that were bulging slightly on his biceps and forearms. Matt's eyes close and growls began to escape his muzzle, which unintentionally causes the bunny's body to tense at the predatory sounds. She didn't back away from the sounds, however, but had remained standing at the spot she was located. The front end of the rod began arching forward almost a hundred eighty degrees, and their catch was without a doubt not too far from the boat. It was now or never!

Grabbing a tight hold on the middle of the fishing rod, the fox pulls the fishing rod towards him and lets out a predatory growl from his muzzle, the muscles on his arms bulging slightly and the veins on his arms bulged just as noticeably. And after pulling the fishing pole towards him and leaning back as he did, their first catch flies out of the water and right at the middle of the front deck. Both mammals quickly turn towards the fish and were immediately surprised at how big it was.

The fish they had caught was a large common carp with scales ranging from a cream color to light tints and dark shades of green. But the colors wasn't what caught their attention, however, but the size of the damn thing! That fish literally had to be roughly thirty eight inches in length, which was much taller than Jenny's own height, and weighing roughly about seventy five pounds. Regardless, the fox couldn't help but grin towards their first catch, especially with something like this.

“Heh, pretty impressive catch, don't you think-” Matt began, but as he turns directly at the rabbit, he notices the shocked, perhaps terrified look on her face, and she was staring right at him. “Jen?” he asked, his tone bearing a strong amount of concern to it right as he reaches his left arm for her. She unexpectedly jerked back from him as he did that, the fox quickly pulling his arm back from her. He wasn't sure why she acted like this at first, but after taking a moment to think, his eyes widen after he immediately figured out why. The predatory growl he made while reeling in the huge fish was the cause of her frightened behavior. He had unintentionally frightened her. His eyes close halfway and turns his head away from her, towards the direction where their first catch was located. “I'm sorry…” he apologized softly, but with a genuinely guilty tone before walking away from the bunny and towards the fish. The fox kneels down in front of the fish and began unhooking the fish from the hooks, but a pair of arms quickly wrapping around his shoulders quickly ceased his actions.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Matt”, Jenny replied with a reassuring tone of voice, the fox's gaze shifting directly at the rabbit herself. “I'll admit it frightened me when it happened, but I already know you didn't mean it”, she reassured before resting her left cheek on his right.

“Thanks, Jen…” Matt responded softly, a soft sigh escaping his mouth before closing his eyes. The rabbit moves her head away from his and plants a gentle kiss on his right cheek, making the fox blush gently from the action. But he honestly didn't complain at all, he actually welcomed it, _loved_ it even. He turns his head towards hers and gazes directly into her sapphire blue eyes, which glisten beautifully in the sunlight. He could just stare into her eyes for as long as he wanted, and he would be in pure, peaceful tranquility. But the smell of fish interrupted the moment and causes him to turn his attention towards the dish a few meters away. “Mind fetching me another net to use? We need to contain the fish in something until we get home”, he requested.

“Sure”, Jenny replied with a nod before beginning to dash towards the inside of the ship for the large net. “Go on ahead and check the other net I'm at it! There might be some other fish inside as it is”, she suggested right as she enters the inside lounging area of the ship. Matt nods before jogging at the net and grabbing it by the rope, pulling the net up slowly as he did. But something was up! Nets aren't usually this heavy, which meant one thing.

“Looks like we've caught more”, Matt thought and continues to pull the rope up towards him, the muscles on his arms flexing slightly with each pull. Jenny returns with the other net right as the fox manages to pull the heavier net up onto the deck. And holy hell where they both surprised at the number of fish they've caught with the net.

Inside of the large net was a huge number of fish ranging from brown and rainbow trouts, yellow and white perch, Smallmouth bass, alewife, even several smaller sized common carps in the mix. Many of the fish were flopping up and down inside of the net as the fox was closing the net tightly, ensuring none of them escape the net without any trouble. With the net secured within seconds, he turns to Jenny and grabs the other net, wrapping it around the larger common carp securely and turning towards the bunny.

“Do you think this is enough?” Matt asked curiously, the rabbit taking a short glance at the fish they've caught before giving him a nod.

“Yeah, I think so”, Jenny replied honestly, since based on how many fish she saw in one of the nets, there was no doubt they've caught at least fifty, but no more than eighty at the most. Matt walks towards the other fishing rod and began reeling in the fishing line, bringing the lure back to them quickly before removing the fishing rod from the loopholes holding it by the foam handle. With the lure reeled in, the fox grabs the other from the ground before walking back inside of the yacht lounging area, placing the rods against the wall inside the closet before shutting the door. With the two managing to make a surprisingly large enough catch, both Jenny and Matt call it a day and began heading home for the remainder of the evening.

As soon as the two arrive home, both Matt and Jenny grab the two nets and bring them inside of the house, with Matt carrying the heavier net with the huge number of fish and Jenny carrying the net holding the thirty eight inch long common carp. They open the gates to the backyard and were suddenly surprised with the sight they bestow upon. Tomoe had already set up the tables they would need to place the fish onto, along with the proper utensils and packaging to cut and package the fish properly with. Thank god Matt's aunt did that for them, or otherwise they would've most likely been up through most of the night trying to set up station, cut and package the fish, and disposing of the nasty bits and bones.

With a pair of gloves being put onto their hand-paws, the rabbit and male fox quickly get to work with tending to the fish, with Jenny and Tomoe skinning the thirty eight inch fish properly on one table while Matt took care of the other fish in the second net. Tomoe grabs a cleft from the set of utensils she had placed on the table Jenny was occupying and uses it to sever the large fish from the tail up to its head, where Jenny grabs a large enough knife to cut the scales and unwanted fats off of the carp. Much like them, Matt uses a cleft to sever the larger fish from tail to head while using another knife to sever the scales and icky fats from them.

Skinning the fish was not necessarily an easy matter due to the oils soaking the bodies of the fish, their severed parts having slipped out of their gloved hand-paws quite a few times. But that wasn't the only reason why it was an easy matter. In fact, Jenny had been a bit reluctant to cut the fish, since being of a prey species herself, the sight of severed meat hasn't been a pleasant sight around predators. However, she knew the job needed to get done as quick and efficiently as possible. So regardless of how uncomfortable the job had made her, she continues to skin the fats and scales from the body and places the meat inside of the large bucket.

Once the fish have been skinned and the meat had been placed inside of the buckets, both Matt and Tomoe take the buckets into the house in order to package the now cleanly cut chunks of fish meat properly. They look towards Jenny and reassure her they would take care of properly packaging the meat themselves, having understood the reason behind her reluctance on skinning the fish. Much to her relief, Jenny hugs the two foxes and plants a soft kiss on Matt's right cheek before entering the house, quickly making her way towards the shower upstairs to rid herself of the smell of fish.

While the bunny was taking a much needed shower, both Matt and Tomoe take a seat at the kitchen table and began grabbing the rounded rectangular, yellow and white colored Styrofoam plates to place the meat on. With their gloves still covering their hand-paws, they place pieces of the meat onto them while keeping in mind of the types of fish they had caught. With the smaller pieces from the trouts, they uses the smaller Styrofoam plates, while placing the larger chunks onto the bigger ones. Organizing the meat via type of fish was fortunately simple, albeit time consuming. But after taking about thirty minutes to place the chopped pieces of fish onto the Styrofoam plates, they were finally ready to wrap them with clear shrink film.

By the time they had began wrapping the fish products with the shrink film, Jenny had finished her shower and was currently heading downstairs, intending on getting some shut eye for class tomorrow. Her attire was rather simple, sporting a red tank top along with a pair of midnight blue, tight fitting workout shorts, and much suitable for sleeping given the warm conditions inside of the house. She enters the living room and her nose was immediately intruded with the scent of fish inside, which to no surprise was the case since it was in the packaging stage. Though what did surprise her was the face they had already organized the fish meat in the proper Styrofoam plates and were nearly close to being halfway done. As impressed as she was with their ingenuity, the rabbit's mind was focused on getting to bed. The instant she arrived to the futon did she flop onto it and quickly shut her eyes, the comforts of sleep soon overtaking her body within a matter of seconds. Moments after sleep overtook her body, Tomoe turns towards the now sleeping rabbit for a moment before shifting her attention towards Matt.

“Matt, go ahead and get some sleep. I'll take care of the rest”, Tomoe said to the male fox, who had just finished packaging a pack of common carp meat with the shrink film. He looks directly at his aunt and was about to protest calmly, but after thinking about it and turning towards Jenny, he nods with understanding and steps away from the table. But before he can get some sleep, there was one thing he needed to do before he could head to bed.

Before he steps out of the kitchen, the fox removes the disposable gloves off of his hand-paws and throws them into the trash bin, walking towards one of his suitcases and grabbing a pair of sleeping clothes from it. With a spare change of clothes in hand, the fox walks upstairs and into the bathroom, placing the articles of clothing on the rack next to the toilet. He turns to his right and opens the cabinet door where the towels were placed in, grabbing a hold of a crimson colored towel and placing it on the rack in front of the shower stall. Quickly removing the clothes he wore while at the lake, he steps into the stall and turns the two knobs to the left, the hot all the way and the cold about a quarter of the way. With the sizzling sounds of the shower head dispensing mildly hot water, and with shutting the door behind him, his shower had begun.

About twenty five minutes pass after his shower had begun, and now Matt was stepping out of the bathroom with a fresh pair of clothes being worn on his body. His clothing consists of a cerulean blue tank top with a pair of low rise black pajama pants, this time bearing orange carrot shaped pattern on parts of his pants. Like all of his tank tops, they were of a tight fit enough to show his torso's muscle definition. To complement the tightness of his top, the fox's pants were of a baggy fit and not showing any of the definition on his legs. He walks down the stairs and towards the futon where Jenny was sleeping, climbing on the left side of the futon mattress and resting his back against the firmly soft material. Sleep soon began to overtake his body, and his eyelids became heavier with each passing second. But before the comforts of sleep overtook his body, the fox rolls to his left and gently wraps his right arm around the rabbit's waist. Now that the bunny was being held in his arms, the fox drifts off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

 

The rest of the week had practically been slow for the two mammals. Between school and working as part time fisher mammals, both Matt and Jenny were practically bored out of their minds. Business had been going rather slow for them as well, not even selling half of their products before the weekend had come. Although they had made quite a bit of money from the sales, it wasn't enough to call it a stabilized source of income. But hey, everything has to start slow, right?

The second and third weeks have gone by a bit faster, much to the relief of both Jenny and Matt. Not only had school been passing by faster, but business had also been progressively getting better with each passing day, much in their favor. Their source of income was now becoming much more stable now that they have been managing to get larger number of fish during the two days they gather the fish. Of course, the Wildes did keep a few packs for themselves and ate them for dinner a few times, which they were fortunately able to afford such a thing since the income had become stable enough to do so.

The forth week had come rather quickly, thanks to spending enough time on fishing at the lakes after school along with spending most of their time selling the products in the New Otsu shopping district. Since they've began their business in the middle of October, not a single Neo-Shogunate army had come looking for the assassin. After all, working as a successful fisher mammal definitely helped keep the suspicion off of Matt. To add to the good times, both his and Jenny's Income had become stable and interestingly large enough to where they began buying some new clothes for themselves along with more fishing and packaging equipment without any trouble. Man, since the day they've fled Kawasabus under the behest of Thrandeer, life couldn't get any better than this.

* * *

 

Now it was the late evening of November the twentieth, particularly in the late evening, and Thanksgiving break has begun for all of the students across the US. Unfortunately for Matt and Jenny, rain was pouring rather heavily in New Otsu to the point where they couldn't go fishing that evening, which pretty much sucked for them both since they could do anymore business until the rain subsided. But hey, I suppose getting a break from work every now and then couldn't hurt, right?

Speaking of breaks, both of them were resting inside of the living room dressed in clothing they deemed comfortable. Matt's attire consisted of a dark cerulean blue tank top and a pair of solid black pajama pants. Jenny, on the other hand, was sporting a dark crimson tank top with a pair of short, tight fitting, dark cerulean blue colored nylon shorts. But while they were resting inside of the living room, they weren't the only occupants at the residence.

Just several minutes ago, Iizuka had arrived to check on both Matt and Jenny regarding their status, along with giving the two an update on Kawasabus. By far, although things seemed to be calming down a bit in the chaotic town, battles were still being fought and some of the homes were being ravaged by many of the Neo-Shogunate armies, whom were having a difficult time searching for the Ishin-Mirkwood assassin. And although he was told about the radical portions of the clan trying to formulate a plan to kill the head of the Neo-Shogunate party, Iizuka told the fox to wait until the order for him to return is given out. If Matt was told about this a month ago, he would've protested the tanuki's decision, but now…

“I don't mind waiting”, Matt said to the tanuki with a calm tone of voice, a soft, hardly noticeable smile forming on his muzzle.

“Are you sure about that?” Iizuka asked with an almost doubtful expression. “The life of a fisher mammal isn't as exciting as the one you once lived”, he commented, which caused the fox to nearly scoff scoff upon hearing this. However, he refrains from doing so even though he lost the hardly noticeable smile on his face and had turned away from the tanuki.

“I never killed for the excitement, and to be honest, this is a welcome change of pace”, Matt replied while shaking his head a couple of times, looking back at Iizuka with a soft smile on his face. “Besides, I'm having no trouble finding things around here to keep me occupied. So I'm not getting bored at all”, the fox reassured, a slight chuckle leaving the tanuki's mouth as he stands up.

“Well, I'm glad you're happy. Just make sure your skills don't languish in the interim”, Iizuka responded, grabbing his katana and placing it on the left side of his body before walking towards the front door. “See ya later!” he replied while opening the door and closing it behind him, a soft smirk forming on his face. “He's weakening. Ha”, the tanuki said softly under his breath before grabbing his keys and unlocking the door to his car. And while the tanuki was leaving, Tomoe enters the living room from the kitchen and takes a seat on the futon Matt and Jenny weren't occupying, a soft sigh escaping her muzzle before turning to face her nephew.

“Forgive me, Matt, but I don't feel good when that mammal's here”, Tomoe began, the sound of an engine roaring momentarily before the car Iizuka came here with starts pulling out of the driveway. “I hate it when he's around”, she claimed, right at the moment Iizuka starts driving at the direction where Kawasabus was located.

“She's right”, Jenny claimed in agreement, turning her head to face Matt with her sapphire eyes gazing towards his jade green ones. “I don't know what it is, but there's something about him I don't like about him. Its just a weird feeling I have…” the rabbit commented before turning away from the fox, with Matt giving both of them a soft, understanding nod. Tomoe soon stands up from the futon and heads for the kitchen, making the male fox look at his aunt with a curious expression on his face.

“I managed to brew some sake earlier today”, Tomoe said before picking up the tray holding a bottle of the freshly brewed alcoholic beverage along with two shot glasses, carrying the tray to the living room and setting it down on the coffee table. “Y'all are more than welcome to have some, just keep it to a limit”, she added prior to turning around and walking towards the stairs, stopping right before stepping on the first stair step. “I'll be in my room if you both need me”, and with those words, the vixen starts walking upstairs and heads towards the master bedroom upstairs.

After the vixen headed upstairs, the fox grabs a hold of the glass bottle of home brewed sake along with one of the shot glasses. The bottle was already opened thanks to Tomoe having opened it earlier, which was convenient for him to pour the drink quicker. He pours a bit of the beverage inside of the shot glass he held and hands the glass to Jenny, who gently took it and allowing the fox to grab the other one. Pouring a similar portion into the glass as he did, the fox sets the bottle down and raises his shot glass towards the front of his muzzle, drinking the alcoholic contents quickly and lowering the glass away from his mouth. His eyes widen slightly with surprise upon tasting the flavor of the alcoholic beverage.

“Its good…” Matt began, bearing a genuinely surprised expression on his face. “This is the best tasting sake I've ever had”, as soon as the fox said that, Jenny's eyes fix themselves towards him with surprise.

“Wait, are you serious?” Jenny asked and shifts her gaze back at her glass, raising it towards her mouth and quickly drinking the contents inside. And like him, her expression became genuinely surprised at the taste. “You're right”, she said with a soft smile, retaining it for at least a few seconds before losing her smile. Her eyes close halfway and a soft sight escapes her mouth, turning away from the fox and looking directly at the coffee table in front of the futon. Matt catches this almost quickly and places his right hand-paw onto her left shoulder.

“What's wrong?” Matt asked out of concern, the rabbit turning towards him for a moment before shaking her head a couple times.

“Its nothing”, Jenny claimed right before she turns away from him, her eyes closing and letting a soft sigh escape her mouth. She may have claimed there might be nothing wrong, but knowing Jenny, the fox knew better to assume it was nothing. Matt gently cups her cheeks and turns her head towards him, the rabbit blushing slightly from his actions with a pair of fully open, curious eyes.

“Jen, tell me what's bothering you?” Matt asked calmly, but with a genuinely concerned tone as well. She closes her eyes and cups his left hand-paw with her right gently, unsure of how to begin the discussion with him. But in all honesty, she knew she had to talk about this at some point, and I suppose now would be the right time to discuss this.

“Well, I have a lot on my mind at the moment, to be honest”, Jenny began. “For one, you never ask anything about my family...” she softly continued.

“Huh?” Matt asked with a curious tone in his voice, cocking a slight, similarly toned brow as he did.

“You really don't ask anything personal about me”, Jenny answered while reopening her eyes and gazing directly towards his. However, Matt slightly turns his head away from her and releases his hold on her cheeks and placing them inside his pockets.

“To be honest, and I'm not even sure why, but I never really thought about it”, Matt replied.

“What do you mean?” Jenny asked curiously, a soft sigh escaping his muzzle before he began speaking.

“I lost my aunt by the hand-paws of other assassins when I was only nine years old. As for my father, he ran out on us about five months before my aunt's death. I don't know if my dad ended up remarrying another vixen or if something happened to him”, Matt began, his gaze shifting back towards her face as he explained. “You also told me your parents were murdered when you were in eighth grade. So since we're stuck here, if I asked you about them, it wouldn't change a thing”, he explained, the bunny soon curling up into fetal position and resting her head onto her knees.

“That may be true… but I haven't told you the full story about it”, Jenny said following a soft sigh, the fox now looking at the rabbit with a pair of curious eyes. “And its a memory that still haunts me to this day…” she claimed, the fox scooting closer to her gently with the intention to listen to everything she had to say about it. “I was living in Savannah Central District in Zootopia around the time it happened. I got into a heated argument with them because they found out about a jack rabbit I was dating at the time”, she explained, only pausing for a moment to let out a soft sigh. “I left the house after the argument became to much for me to bear, unaware that it would be the last time I would ever see my parents alive...”

* * *

 

_**Savanna Central, Zootopia, May 10 th, 2006** _

_The stars in the night sky glisten beautifully upon the city of Zootopia, many of its citizens walking around the downtown part of the city for a night of entertainment. From the biggest of predators to the smallest of prey, all of them began heading out to the bars for a drink, to the arcades to play games, or even eating at the fanciest of restaurants with their friends, family, even mates. All seemed to be pleasant throughout the city, almost as pleasant as Pleasantville in the movie of the same name. Although this was the case for almost all of the citizens of Zootopia, that didn't seem to be the case with one_ _mammal_ _in particular…_

_A fourteen year old female English born bunny by the name of Jenny Bunni was currently roaming the darkest alleys of the city, her emotions bearing a mixture of anger and sorrow._ _Her attire consisted of a pair of jeans, T-shirt, a slim fitting hoodie, and Chuck Taylor shoes,_ _all in black_ _to match the bunny's current mood._ _But there was an exception to_ _that, however, with the bunny's_ _black T-shirt be_ _aring_ _'Venom: Welcome to Hell'_ _imprinted_ _on the front of the shirt in gold._ _The hood was covering her head to the entirety, where the only thing that can be seen is parts of her dark brown/dark blond mixed bangs and parts of her face. While hidden for the most part, the parts of her face that were exposed bore enough detail to show hints of black, damp mascara lines running down her cheeks. That made it clearly evident she had been crying fairly recently._

_Roughly an hour ago, she had left the apartment she and her parents were staying in after a heavily heated argument in response to finding out their daughter had recently_ _began dating_ _a fifteen year old jack rabbit_ _they clearly didn't approve of_ _._ _She tried to convince her parents_ _he wasn't any trouble at all, but her parents had claimed otherwise. Despite trying her best to being calm and collected,_ _arguing with her parents proven that this approach would never work. The argument became aggressive unexpectedly quick, shouts were heard throughout the entire complex within a matter of seconds, and tempers were flaring like wild fire. And before they knew it, Jenny immediately rushed out the door and into the dark streets of Savanna District._

_All of that happened within a mere hour ago, yet to the young rabbit only felt like fifteen minutes for her,_ _and now she was currently walking back towards her apartment complex._ _. She wasn't sure if venting in the alleyway several blocks away from her_ _home_ _helped pass the time, or if it was all of the crying she had did while she was out of the_ _apartment_ _. She honestly didn't know, and she_ _honestly didn't care. Her mind was completely blank with the exception for one thing: she needed to get home, and right away before she got caught in the wrong crowd._

_Jenny continues to walk along the dark alleys as quickly as she could, occasionally looking behind her along with the other pathways to ensure nobody was following her. Fortunately for her, nobody did. Along with the fact nobody followed her, it was also relatively quiet within the neighborhood despite being within the downtown portion of Zootopia. Completely silent with the exception of the faint sounds of dispatch radios a few blocks from her current position. Wait, dispatch radios? Whatever the reason, that didn't sound good at all. As she drew closer to the complex, now jogging to get their faster, she notices flashing red and blue lights within the distance, on the same street her complex was. Now without a doubt she knew something had gone down, and she had to find out. Her street came into view and immediately turns towards the left, unprepared for the scene she was about to bestow upon._

_Her eyes immediately widen with pure shock and her hand-paws immediately cup her mouth, a loud 'gasp' escaping her mouth. There, right in front of their front doorstep were her parents, laying dead in a pool of their own blood. Roughly two dozen_ _bullet holes from the upper left parts of their shoulders to the right side of their torso were obviously apparent on their bodies, which meant they her killed in a drive by shooting or a plotted murder. Which one it was she did not know. Yellow tape was placed around the scene of the crime, and several officers of various predator species, along with roughly eighteen residents within the complex, occupied the scene._ _Her eyes began to water at the grisly scene of the crime, and she began shaking her head erratically._

“ _No…_ _” Jenny whimpered softly, tears threatening to stream down her face at any given moment._ _She was in a pure state of denial. She couldn't believe what she was seeing._ _She could not literally believe what the_ _ **fuck**_ _she was seeing. “No. No. No. No!” she whimpered much louder this time, but not enough grab the attention of the officers on the scene. Her lips start quivering involuntarily, and her brows were pointing upward in sadness. She suddenly shuts her eyes and_ _immediately sprints towards the bodies of her parents. “NO!!!” the bunny shrieked very loudly, immediately grabbing the attention of the cops and all of the residents in the area. “_ _MUM!! DAD!!” the rabbit wailed._ _One of the cops tried to stop her from passing the yellow line,_ _but the rabbit was surprisingly too fast for the officer to catch. She immediately slides onto her knees in front of her parents, leaning her body forward and finally letting out the loud sobs and the tears she had held back after first seeing the horrific scene._

_She didn't know how long she was crying for the loss for her parents, nor did she know how long she wailed for her parents, longing for them. But within the next several minutes that pass, she had been placed inside the back seat of one of the police cruisers on the scene. The rabbit wasn't placed under arrest, but was being taken to the station to help her get situated. But to Jenny, who was no longer sobbing despite the tears that continue to stream down her face, merely looked down at the floorboard of the cruiser. Her eyes were half open, puffy and red, and hurt from all the crying she had done, and the tears had, and still continue to smear black mascara onto her cheeks to a certain extent. But that wasn't what had hurt her the most._

_What had hurt the bunny the most was the fact her parents were no longer of this word. They had unexpectedly been taken away_ _by the hand-paws of an unknown organization, whether it was a local street gang or a huge crime family. Which one it was, she honestly didn't know, and at this given moment, she didn't care. She was hurting from the fact that not only will she never see her parents again, but from many things regarding them._

_Never again will she be able to see the smiling faces of her parents, or to look into the sapphire blue eyes she had inherited from the two bunnies face to face. Never again will she taste her mother's cooking, or receive any help with her homework or any random 'word from the wise' from her father. Never again will the rabbit be able to go out to the park and have fun, go out to eat dinner with them, watch a movie, or whatever else. Never again will she hear the laughs, cries, basic chatter, even the arguments surprisingly enough. But what truly hurt her to the very core was two major facts…_

_She will never again be able to hug and tell her parents how much she loved and cherished them. And she would never have the chance to tell them how sorry she was for her wrongs, nor will she ever have the chance to set the wrong things_ _she's done to them_ _right…_

_**Tomoe's residence, November 20 th, 2009** _

* * *

 

“After I was taken to the station, I ended up being assigned a foster home for the rest of my eighth grade year…” Jenny began softly, her eyes half open and tears threatening to stream down her face any any given moment. “I didn't stay with my foster parents for long, though, because as soon as I finished eighth grade year, I immediately got the hell out of Zootopia and wandered across country during the summer, hoping it would do my mind some good. When the summer came to an end, however, I settled down in Kawasabus shortly before I began my freshmen year in High School”, the bunny further explained, her arms clutching around her legs tighter and pressing her face onto her knees. Tears almost immediately began running down her cheeks and onto her legs. “Even if it happened over three years ago… it still hurts so much…!” the rabbit with a cracked voice, her shoulders quivering and now sobbing openly next to the fox.

“Jen…” Matt spoke softly with sympathy in his voice. He recalled Jenny having told him about her parents being dead over a month ago, but never did he expect them to die at the City he had been born and partially raised in. Either way, he needed to comfort her immediately.

The fox slowly wraps his arms around the bunny and pulls her into a tender, comforting hug. Whether or not this would help, he wasn't entirely sure. But hey, its a start. Fortunately, the bunny returns the hug by tightly wrapping her arms around his waist and planting her face onto the bottom part of his chest and the upper part of his chiseled abdominal muscles. His tank top was soon getting stained by the tears being shed from the rabbit, but the fox didn't care one bit. He closes his eyes and gently tightens his arms around the bunny's torso, her sobbing, although becoming less frequent, remain just as loud as when her sobs began. His head rests on top of hers began rubbing the upper part of her back gently with his left hand-paw, and rubbing the back of her head with his right.

This continued for at least another five minutes before the bunny's sobs began to stagnate, the sound softening until they could no longer can be heard. Matt pulls back a bit and moves his hand-paws off of her upper body, reopening his eyes and looking down at her now tear stained face.

“Matt… thank you”, Jenny spoke softly, her eyes closing halfway and her head tilting from his face towards her left, gazing directly at the futon mattress with her right hand-paw moving to the left side of her chest. “Why does it hurt so much…?” she choked, closing her eyes before. “To know the fact you'll never be able to apologize to your own parents for your actions… to know they carry a grudge against their own daughter to the grave. Why does it hurt so much…?” the rabbit sobbed softly, her voice cracking and a couple tears streaming down her face shortly after she began speaking. Her left hand-paw covers her eyes and her lips began quivering again.

“Jen…” Matt began, the fox cupping her cheeks gently and turns her head towards his, his jade green eyes staring directly at her sapphire blue colored pair. “No parent would ever hold a grudge against their own child, not even in death”, the fox continued, his voice bearing a soothing tone the bunny couldn't describe. “Even though I've never met your parents, I know without a doubt that they've would've forgiven you, no matter the severity of your actions”, he claimed sincerely, the rabbit closing her eyes and tilting her head towards the ground.

“But, I-”

“Listen to me!”, Matt exclaimed calmly, tilting the rabbit's head up towards him and gazing directly at her face, her eyes reopening a little over halfway. “Regardless of the fact you never had the chance to apologize, they still would've forgiven you no matter what”, the fox continued. “Even in the afterlife, your parents still love you”, he paused for a moment, his eyes gazing towards hers as his heart began pounding a bit faster inside of his chest. “Just as much as I do, too…”, that immediately caused the bunny to perk her ears towards his words.

“Matt…?” Jenny began, her sapphire eyes gazing directly at his jade green pair. A brief silence filled between them shortly after Matt said those words, but those weren't the only words he had to say… needed to say. He took a deep breath and gently grabbed her hand-paws, his fingers intertwining with hers even as his gaze remained locked with hers.

“I love you, Jen. I fell in love with you since the day I first laid my eyes on you”, Matt confessed, finally telling her the feelings he had developed for her since the day he had met her, the same, genuine feelings that have grown stronger from that day up to this point. Jenny's eyes shot wide open and her mouth instantly became agape, both of which were full of genuine shock. Her heart began pounding both quicker and harder inside of her chest, just like how her face began flustering in pure shock.

She honestly didn't know what to say about it, for the words couldn't form in her mouth. She lowers her head slightly and gently clutches the left side of her chest where her heart lies, her breathing becoming faster and heavier with each passing second. The bunny's gaze shifts back up to him, then down, then back up at him again. The fox's hand-paws remain cupped on her cheeks, soon finding himself leaning his head towards hers. Jenny soon found herself inching towards him willingly. Their eyes began narrowing, much like the gap between them became narrower. Their eyes close at the precise moment their lips connected with one another for the first time since they've met.

It started off as soft and gentle at first in order to get used to the fact this was happening, but with each passing second, it gradually grew more passionate. Matt's arms wrap around her waist gently into a tender, almost tight hug, with Jenny's arms wrapping around the fox's neck as an attempt to pull closer towards him. Jenny's DD-cup breasts press almost tightly against the bottom half of his pectoral muscles and the upper portion of his two uppermost abs. Matt's head twists to the left in correlation with Jenny's twisting towards the same direction, both of them becoming lost in the increasingly passionate kiss.

The kiss deepened almost quickly as the two mammals got used to the motions of their actions. Jenny soon moves her right leg over his legs and rests her booty on his lap. Matt's arms tighten around the lower portion of her waist and presses further into the passionate kiss, the rabbit's right hand-paw moving to the back of his head and pulling his head towards her. The predator and prey pause for the briefest of moments to catch their breaths before resuming the kiss, both of them pressing their tongues inside of each other's mouths and brushing against one another rapidly. Jenny's left hand-paw began exploring the fox's muscular torso, starting from the well built chest muscles of his and soon tracing her fingers along the heavily chiseled abs.

Matt's hand-paws soon began to explore her body intimately shortly after Jenny's began exploring his body. His left hand-paw moves to the back of her head and pull it towards his, further deepening the increasingly passionate kiss between the two while his right began stroking her left thigh. The two pause the kiss again only for a brief moment to catch their breaths before continuing to explore each other's lips tenderly. The rabbit moves her right hand-paw from the back of the fox's head and began exploring the muscular built torso of his to the fullest, much like Matt moving his left down to her right thigh and began stroking it back and forth slowly, but intimately. But they didn't stay at her thighs for long. No, they wanted to explore her body much further! Both of his hand-paws quickly move towards that perfect, round booty of hers and give both of her firm cheeks a tender, slightly hard squeeze. Jenny immediately breaks the kiss and arches her back from his intimate, increasingly erotic touch, her crotch grinding against the hardening package inside of the male's pants. A soft moan escapes the bunny's mouth before she leans her body forward and wraps her arms around his neck kissing the left side of his neck tenderly, taking the occasional sniff of his fox musk.

As the bunny was kissing the fox's neck (and sniffing his scent on occasion), Matt's hand-paws slowly trail from her perfectly rounded booty up along the sides of her torso, their target being the busty bosom she bore on her chest. He grips the tender mounds gently and gives them a soft squeeze, another moan escaping her mouth as her face quickly became heavily flustered. Their eyes open halfway and look into each other's eyes, both pairs of eyes glistening with love, passion, and hints of primal lust. The two quickly press their lips together and began kissing each other with fierce passion, their eyes now closed and their hand-paws continuing to explore every part of their bodies without hesitation.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves inside the shower stall within the second floor bathroom, the hot water pouring heavily down upon their nude bodies. Jenny's back was pinned against the ceramic wall and her thighs were being held in the grip of Matt's hand-paws. Her arms were wrapped around his neck for the extra support, though thanks to Matt's grip and her being pinned against the wall, it wasn't really necessary. Their mouths continue to explore each other tenderly much like the fox's exposed flesh between his legs began sliding back and forth against the rabbit's wet lips between her thighs. A soft, needy moan leaves the bunny's mouth before looking down at the red, veiny rod between the fox's legs. And holy hell did her eyes widen at the sight of his member.

She wasn't surprised to the fact foxes would be big downstairs, especially to the fact she was small than him due to being a rabbit. But holy hell, it seems Matt was rather big even for foxes, the thick rod being a good ten inches in length and slightly over two inches in thickness. That was something she honestly didn't expect, not that she was complaining anyways. But the longer she gazed at the rod, the faster her heart began pounding, and the more her cotton tail twitched in anticipation. Hell, the lips between her thighs began dripping eagerly with anticipation, wanting, no, _needing_ that thing inside of her.

The rabbit wasn't sure how long she had been starting at Matt's throbbing member between his legs, but a lustful, predatory growl from the fox snaps her out of her trance. Her mostly open eyes shift directly towards Matt's jade green pair, noticing the once circular black irises bearing a thin, diamond shape to them. Seeing those slit shaped irises in his pupils meant one obvious thing: he wanted her badly, and he wanted her now! A soft moan escapes her mouth before grabbing his long hair and pulling his head towards hers, planting a deep, lustful kiss on his lips. She immediately wraps her legs around his waist eagerly and began grinding her wet lips against the hot, throbbing flesh of his. And to Matt, that meant it was time for him enter the main course.

Grabbing a hold of the throbbing member with his right hand-paw, while retaining his grip on her right thigh with his left, the fox began rubbing the tip of his eager member against the opening of her nether lips. Soft, eager moans start escaping her mouth the instant he began teasing her with his length, arching her head back and curling her fingers around his fur matching hair. She desperately needed him, and she needed him NOW! With a pleasing moan, the fox immediately complies with her request by lining the throbbing rod with her sex and presses it inside of her, his cock slowly entering the inner walls of her tender, virgin pussy. Her mouth opens wide and a lets out a loud moan from the male's foxhood entering her inner walls, moaning his name as she began grinding back and forth almost involuntarily.

She began moving her hips up and down along the first five inches of his thick rod, with lustful, guttural growls leaving the fox's muzzle and eager whimpers fleeing the rabbit's mouth. Her legs tighten their hold around his waist securely before looking at the fox's eyes, closing her own and giving him a deep, lustful kiss on the lips, She presses herself upper body against his with pure bliss, her breasts pressing against the male's pectoral muscles as she attempts to deepen the kiss. Matt's hand-paws grab a tight hold of her waist before bucking his hips back and forth against hers, his foxhood sliding in and out of her sex tenderly. At first, his thrusts started off slowly in order to let the rabbit get used to the size of his member, but the pace of his thrusts gradually quickened enough to stimulate the sexual excitement between one another.

Matt's lustful growls were almost constantly leaving from his mouth as the intercourse continues to progress, and the passionate, primitive kiss between him and the rabbit began to deepen tenderly. His thrusts gradually continue to quicken at a pace both lovers were comfortable with. Not too fast, nor too slow; not too gentle, nor too rough. Just the way they wanted it. The fox's left hand-paw moves from the right side of her waist and to the ceramic tile wall behind the bunny, pressing his hand-paw against the wall and scratching the paint gently with his claws. Moans were constantly escaping the two with each passing second, their bodies grinding against one another in perfect synchronization with each other's movements.

As the minutes continue to pass quickly, the fox breaks the kiss and lowers his head towards the left side of her body. He flashes his fangs with a predatory, lustful snarl before leaning towards her left shoulder, nipping at her furred flesh gently enough to send shivers down her spine. In most cases, the prey would be trying to flee from the predator the instant he began nipping her shoulder. But in this particular case, however, the rabbit embraced this with pure, lustful pleasure. The way that Matt did it felt really damn good, ways she had never thought possible

Both lovers were being driven closer to the edge of climax as the minutes continue to pass like seconds. Matt's thrusts remain in complete synchronization with the grinding of Jenny's hips. The rabbit was constantly whimpering in pure bliss, her need for the fox growing stronger as the intercourse nears the peak of climax. Matt's knot soon formed at the base of his foxhood and began hitting her nether lips in correlation with his thrusts. His primal urges began to overtake his mind and quickly presses the thick knot deep inside of her inner walls, the rabbit squealing loudly with pure, sexual bliss.

And before either one of them knew it, both the fox and rabbit lock their lips in an everlasting kiss as they began to explode with pure passion. Thick ropes of the fox's ripe seed starts shooting deep within the safety of the rabbit's womb, the bunny squirting plenty of her juices on his foxhood while he filled her. They break the kiss at least a minute after they started kissing, which was roughly a good few seconds after their climax had abated. Their lust was sated, and now the two have grown tired from the intercourse they've had. With Matt's knot locked inside of Jenny's sex, the two gently slide down against the wall and hold each other in a tender embrace.

“I love you, Jenny…” Matt softly said to his new lover, planting a soft kiss on her forehead as he held her in his arms.

“I love you too, Matt”, Jenny replied, bearing a soft smile on her face, resting her head onto her lover's chest while the hot water continues to cleanse their bodies from the smell of sex. They knew they couldn't stay in there forever, but to them, that's how it felt, and they embraced the moment for as long as they possibly could.

One hour after the interspecies lovers had finished engaging in intercourse, along with waiting for the knot to deflate, the two lovers exit from the second floor bathroom with the clothes they wore… for the most part. Jenny had asked Matt to exit the shower without his shirt, with the fox asking the bunny to do the same, with only a black and crimson colored lace bra containing her bosom. The lovers walk downstairs and lay down onto the futon they slept on, the fox laying down first before the bunny lays right on top of him.

“Talk about one hell of a way to end a night, that's for sure”, Matt commented with a soft grin on his muzzle, the bunny resting her head on his chest tenderly. The fox's right hand-paw moves to her head and soon began stroking her dark brown/dark blonde mixed long hair, his fingers brushing through parts of her hair.

“Mmhmm…” Jenny replied softly, her arms wrapping around her lover's neck and planting a tender kiss on his cheeks. “I'll always cherish this night, Matt”.

“As will I”, Matt replied tenderly, his eyes half open and looking directly towards her. His hand-paws cup her cheeks gently and causes a soft blush to form on the rabbit's head. “I love you, Jenny”, the fox added softly, making the rabbit smile tenderly towards her new boyfriend.

“I love you too, Matt”, Jenny replied with a similar tone of voice before planting a gentle kiss on her lover's muzzle. She moves back a bit enough to rest her head on his muscular chest while keeping her arms wrapped around his neck. “My handsome fox”.

“My beautiful bunny”, Matt replied softly, retaining the soft grin in his muzzle before closing his eyes, thus letting the comforts of sleep overtake his body on this rainy night… or that would've been the case of his phone didn't start going off! “Shit…”, he cursed, losing the grin he bore on his muzzle immediately after his phone began ringing unexpectedly. “Who the hell's calling at this time?” he groaned, obviously annoyed to the fact his phone had went off out of nowhere. He grabs his phone from the coffee table and pulls up the caller ID, his annoyed expression immediately turning into one full of unexpected surprise. “Thrandeer?!” he exclaimed, both the bunny and fox siting up upon the fox revealing the person who was calling. He hits the answer button on the touch screen and immediately places his phone on speaker. “Thrandeer, you're still alive!”

“ _I know, Matt, and its good to hear you're still alive as well_ ”, Thrandeer replied over the phone. “ _As much as I want to catch up with you, but I'm afraid we have a problem in our midst_ ”, the buck said almost bluntly.

“Wait, what's going on?” Matt asked calmly, but genuinely curious about the problem at hand.

“ _I had been recently made aware some of the radical factions of both the Ishin-Rivendell and Orimaku clans had fled Kawasabus and escaped to the east coast and are planning to secretly spread the power of the Neo-Shogunate government in the underground_ ”, Thrandeer began over the phone, both Matt and Jenny briefly looking at each other before turning their attention towards the phone. “ _But that's not the only thing that concerns me_ ”.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked, his eyes furrowing only the slightest.

“ _As of fifteen minutes ago, I've also been made aware some of our own had recently betrayed our clan and sided with the radical factions of the enemy clans who fled Kawasabus_ ”, Thrandeer explained. “ _If we were made aware of this sooner, I would've sent some of the other members_ _to dispose of them_ _, but only a few of us remain in town and no one else is available to take the job_ ”, the buck continued. “ _I know you're trying to adjust to your new life as a Fisher Mammal in New Otsu, but I must ask for your services once again_ ”, the deer finished, the interspecies couple looking towards one another for a moment before the bunny gave him an understanding nod. Matt nods back to his girlfriend before shifting his attention back to his phone.

“Alright, I'll lend you my skills for the time being”, Matt answered, hearing a sigh of relief escaping Thrandeer's mouth on the other side of the line. “Where have the enemy clans and rough members of our own fled to?” the fox asked, bearing the same facial expression he had during the time he was working as an assassin. But while he may have been prepared for all of the missions he was given, nothing could've prepared the fox for the answer he was about to hear, one he would never had expected to hear from the clan leader's own mouth.

“ _Zootopia..._ ”


	14. Homecoming

_ **Homecoming** _

  


Zootopia, the city where anyone can be anything, regardless if you were a predator or prey. It was the birthplace for many well known mammals in the entire country, featuring some of the best lawyers, politicians, police officers, even the occasional music artist or entertainer. Unfortunately, the city also brew some of the countries, perhaps the entire world's, most sinister criminals, from local street gangs to big mafia crime families. But there was one thing the city had unexpectedly brewed since its existence: an assassin in the form of a fox.

And now that the fox had been mentioned, Matt's eyes were shot wide open in pure, unexpected shock. His mouth was slightly hanging open as soon as he heard the location, a location he never thought he would hear again, or at least not anytime soon…

“Say that again?” Matt asked with a calm tone, but with a mixture of pure, unexpected shock as well.

“ _The radical factions of the enemy clans, along with some of our own who sided with them have fled to Zootopia._ _And with the way things are looking right now, it appears they starting to spread their Neo-Shogunate ideals across the country starting with Zootopia_ ”, Thrandeer answered on the other end of the line right before the fox tilts his head back, face-palming before quietly uttering an obscenity from his mouth and leaning his head back forward. A heavy sigh escapes his muzzle and began shaking his head a few times.

“Look, Thrandeer, I don't even know if I can go through with the mission”, Matt began, hesitation filling his voice and surprising the bunny in front of him. Never before did she see her new lover hesitate from a mission like this, especially after hearing about the location. “What if-”

“ _Matt, listen to me!_ ”, Thrandeer quickly interrupted, albeit with a calm tone in his voice. “ _I understand your hesitation on the matter now that I mentioned the name of the location. But you've told me once before you were born and raised in Zootopia for_ _over nine years of your life_ _._ _Therefore,_ _because_ _yo_ _u bear a lot of_ _knowledge of the city,_ _you are the only one qualified to partake in this mission_ ”, the deer continued, a gleam of surprise forming on the rabbit's face upon hearing about the fox having coming from Zootopia himself. “ _We mustn't allow them to spread the Neo-Shogunate ideals across the entire nation, lest the country_ _should_ _fall under their tyrannical rule_ ”.

“But Thrandeer, I-” Matt began, but a pair of hand-paws cupping his cheeks stopped the fox from continuing, his eyes looking directly at his lover's own set.

“Matt”, Jenny began calmly with a slight hint of seriousness in his tone. “I may not know much about your life, but Thrandeer makes a good point”, she claimed much to his and Thrandeer's surprise. “You were born in Zootopia and had lived there for nine years. Is that true?” she asked, the fox nodding gently towards her once. “Then you have the best chance in completing this mission”, she continued.

“But Jen, I…” Matt began before turning his head towards the right a bit and closing his eyes, his hand-paws grasping hers and lowering them from his cheeks.

“Matt… look at me” Jenny asked, leaning closer towards her lover and placing her hand-paws back on his cheeks. His eyes remain closed while the rabbit turns his head directly to hers. “Open your eyes”, the bunny gently told the fox, his eyes slowly opening and gazing directly towards her sapphire blue pair. “What's wrong?” the rabbit asked, her voice filled with sincere concern for her lover. Everything was silent for a good twenty seconds before a sigh escapes his muzzle.

“I can't…” Matt began, closing his eyes and slowly shaking his head. “I can't let any of my brothers know I'm alive… not like this” the fox answered, his tone bearing a mixture of calm and reluctance. Jenny now starts looking at him with a surprised look on her face again, not expecting that particular answer to come out of his mouth. She honestly never knew he had any brothers in his family, nor had he mentioned having any. The rabbit wanted to pry more on the matter, but now was not the time. Right now, she needed to focus on him, and to help him focus on the mission at hand.

“Matt, I understand going back to the city you were born and raised for nearly half of your life isn't the easiest thing to do, but I don't want the enemy clans and the traitors to spread the Neo-Shogunate's evil across the country”, Jenny began, attempting to speak with a soothing, understanding tone as best she could. “But can you at least listen to whatever Thrandeer has to say, and take the mission if its at all possible…” she continued with a similar tone, yet bore a calmly pleading look onto her face. “Please…for me”, the bunny pleaded, her nose touching the fox's own gently, the vulpine closing his eyes for and letting out a calm sigh. He nods a couple times quickly and reopens them shortly after.

“Alright”, Matt replied softly, but enough for Jenny to hear easily thanks to her sensitive hearing. She gently kisses his lips before the fox turns his attention towards his phone, now bearing a more serious look on his face. “Thrandeer, what do you need?” the fox asked with a calm voice.

“ _I need you_ _to depart from New Otsu via bullet train tomorrow in order to get to Zootopia. When you get there, I want you_ _to investigate the workings of the enemy_ _clans along with_ _those_ _of_ _the rogue_ _Ishin-Mirkwood clan members_ ”, Thrandeer answered over the phone. “ _Rumor has it that their base of operations is located somewhere within the northeastern part of the Savanna Central District. As much as I want them dead, just focus on_ _try_ _ing_ _to get information from those clans and report_ _your findings_ _to me via_ _text message_ _. Refrain from killing them_ _until after they_ _'ve_ _reveal_ _ed_ _enough information_ ”, the buck continued. “ _I will arrange a temporary safe house for you in_ _the outskirts of Tundratown_ ”.

“I understand”, Matt replied with a nod. “What time will I need to depart tomorrow?” he asked.

“ _At dawn_ ”, Thrandeer answered. “ _So go on ahead and get some sleep, Matt. You'll need it_ ”, and with that, the buck hangs up from the other line. Matt shrugs softly before placing his phone back on top of the coffee table, laying back against the futon shortly after with his left hand-paw covering his eyes.

“Damn… I did not expect this to happen”, Matt spoke softly before moving his left hand-paw behind his pillow. He began closing his eyes to try and get some sleep, but feeling the rabbit's right hand-paw gently caressing his left cheek stopped that from happening.

“Don't worry, Matt. I'm sure it'll be alright”, Jenny replied gently, the fox's gaze shifting towards her and his right hand-paw moving to the back of her head, stroking her silky smooth hair by brushing his fingers through the luscious strands of hair.

“You know, you bunnies sure have a way of calming us foxes down, especially in times of need”, Matt commented with a soft, genuine smile on his face.

“Do I know that?” Jenny playfully asked with a grin forming on her face. “Yes, yes I do”, she added with a light giggle, her arms wrapping around his neck and gently planting a kiss on his left cheek just above the scar. “Lets get some sleep as Thrandeer suggested. You'll need it for tomorrow”, the bunny suggested while she was resting her head on the tuft of his neck, her eyes slowly closing and beginning to drift off into a necessary sleep. But there was one more thing she had coursing her mind that she needed to ask him. “Matt, do you want me to go to Zootopia with you?” the bunny asked, her eyes still closed and resting on his neck tuft just above his collarbone.

“As much as I would like that, I think it'd be best if you stayed here with Tomoe and lent her a helping hand-paw around the house. Besides… I don't want any harm to come to you whatsoever”, Matt replied with a soft tone. He begins closing eyes, but couldn't help but wonder about the events that could happen tomorrow. But at least feeling the rabbit's hand-paws brushing the neck tuft felt soothing for him, especially after hearing the mission. Regardless of the circumstances, the fox shuts his eyes and soon drifts off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

 

_**New Otsu Train Station, Dawn** _

Dawn has come rather quickly upon the town of New Otsu, with rain continuing to pour down upon the rural town excessively. Fortunately, however, though heavy as it was, it wasn't as heavy as it was the day before. Regardless of the weather conditions, roughly a few dozen mammals were either sitting under the pavilion near the tracks or were standing in line getting their tickets. One group had already brought a ticket for one of their own members, particularly Matt Wilde himself.

Matt and Jenny had woke up roughly an hour prior to getting to the station in order to help get the fox packed and ready to go for his mission in Zootopia. After having packed some of his toiletries along with several pairs of clothes, Matt, Jenny, and Tomoe left the house and met with Thrandeer at the station. Much to Matt's relief, the buck was still alive and well, though already knew the clan leader was still somewhat upset about losing most of he clan (even if he didn't show it). But regardless of that matter, it was still good to hear from the clan leader along with seeing him face to face.

Regardless of the pleasantries, they were not here to catch up on things since Matt and Jenny left Kawasabus, at least for the most part. Thrandeer was in his usual attire, consisting of a dark gray tight fitting shirt, dark tan hakama pants, and dark brown open toe boots. A black hoodie was worn over his shirt to help cover his torso, the hood having been custom made with holes for his antlers to fit through easily. A pair of black samurai bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, with loopholes wrapped around his fingers to keep the back hand-paw piece secured on his hand-paws. For precaution purposes, a long, twenty eight inch samurai katana and a short, sixteen inch wakizashi were attached onto the left side of his waist, both of which were securely strapped onto his cloth belt.

Matt's clothing was partially similar to what Thrandeer had wore on him, but with some distinctions. For instance, he also wore a black hoodie with a dark gray tight fitting shirt underneath the jacket. Like Thrandeer, a pair of black samurai bracers covered his muscular forearms and the back of his hand-paws. But the pants he wore along with the color of his open toe boots were where the distinctions were made. His cargo pants were of a solid black color much like the color of his open toe boots, the leg openings having been tucked into them. Both his long katana and short wakizashi were securely strapped onto his silver studded belt, the katana bearing a twenty six inch long blade and the wakizashi bearing a sixteen inch blade. Lastly, a pair of black leather gloves cover his hand-paw to its entirety.

Both Jenny and Tomoe weren't dressed for combat like the two males were, since they honestly had no reason to. Tomoe's clothing consists of a purple kimono with a dark blue ribbon wrapped around her waist. A pair of black open toe shoes on her feet-paws in a comfortable manner, with enough room to let her toes wiggle if needed. Jenny's clothing, on the other hand, was much different from Tomoe's, her clothing consisting of a black tight fitting hoodie with a purple T-shirt underneath, black skinny jeans, and a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor's covering her feet-paws.

Minutes after Matt had got his ticket, the fox notices the bullet train beginning to approach the station rapidly, standing up and grabbing a hold of a large duffel bag he brought with him and strapping it onto his right side. He began towards the train that had arrived, but was stopped by a pair of arms suddenly wrap around his waist tightly halfway there. The fox looks back and noticing it was the bunny who began hugging him tightly, a few chuckles escaping his muzzle before turning around and wrapping his arms around her own body.

“It's gonna be lonely without you home”, Jenny said softly to her lover, looking up at his jade green eyes with her sapphire blue pair. Matt couldn't help but chuckle and began stroking the back of her head.

“Don't worry, Jen. I'll only be gone til Wednesday at the latest”, Matt replied with a reassuring voice, his eyes closing and planting a kiss on her forehead. “I'll be home before you know it”, he reassured again with a gentle tone, his eyes reopening and looking down towards the bunny. Using her right arm to gently wipe her wetting eyes, she looks back up to him with her brows pointing upward.

“I know… but still”, Jenny added with a soft sniffle, the fox gently grinning softly and pulling her back into the hug. He knew he had to get on, but another moment with his rabbit lover wouldn't hurt. His right hand-paw continues to brush the back of her head before pulling her head towards his chest, resting his right cheek on top of her head and even hearing a couple quiet sobs escape her muzzle.

“You bunnies, so emotional”, Matt thought to himself and continuing to comfort his bunny for as long as he could. Roughly twenty seconds later, however, he moves his head off of hers and plants a tender kiss on his girlfriend's lips, a kiss that lasted for another ten seconds before pulling away from her embrace. His right arm secures his duffel bag and began turning around, but the rabbit reaches inside of her jacket and grabs the sheathed dagger she owned and hands it to him, the blade being as long as his forearms.

“Here, take this at least, just in case”, Jenny suggested, the fox looking at her curiously and unsure of whether or not to take. “Please… for me”, she pleaded softly, her eyes looking up at his pleadingly. The fox usually could resist such requests, but with eyes as precious as hers, how could he? The fox closes his eyes and nods, taking the dagger gently and placing it inside the right inner pocket of his hoodie.

“Alright, I gotta get going, Jen”, Matt said to the bunny calmly, but bore a soft smile on his muzzle. “I'll call you when I get to Zootopia, Okay?” he added, the rabbit nodding a few times before the fox turns around and began walking away. But after taking a few steps, he stops and reaches inside of his left pocket and grabs a piece of paper from it, handing it to Thrandeer and causing the buck to form a curious expression as a response. “Here, take this”, the fox said to the buck, which the deer gently took it in a curious fashion, his eyes gazing at the piece of paper before opening it. “I talked with Jenny and aunt Tomoe about this before we left. Now I'm giving you Jenny and Tomoe's contact information just in case”, he finished, the clan leader nodding with understanding and placing the piece of paper inside of his right inner jacket pocket.

“I understand”, Thrandeer replied calmly right as the fox starts running towards the bullet train, turning around and looking back at the trio right after he enters the back passenger car.

“I'll come back soon! I promise!” Matt exclaimed before shifting his gaze directly towards his lover. “I love you, Jenny!” he exclaimed, the two automatic sliding doors beginning to close slowly.

“I love you too, Matt!”, Jenny exclaimed in response right before the automatic doors shut, the fox running towards the back of the back-most passenger car and entering the room inside.

The now occupied passenger room itself was mostly covered with a strong, glass window, which took shape of the pointed portion of the bullet train. With the way that it looked, it looked almost like an observatory for the back, a great spot for passengers who happened to enjoy sight seeing during train rides. And honestly, this was the perfect spot for him to be in right now, as the train began departing slowly from the station. The fox watches the trio waving at him and waves back for a few seconds before they disappear almost with a blink of an eye. With the station now behind him, he takes a seat on the passenger couch in a train of thought, particularly wondering on how to avoid being seen by his bothers, Nick and Terrance. Speaking of which…

“Now that I'm on my way to Zootopia, might as well go ahead and put on my muzzle mask”, Matt thought to himself calmly before grabbing the black cloth face mask and pulling it over his muzzle, covering it to its entirety. Fortunately, the fabric was thin enough for him to breathe through the material without any difficulty, and thick enough to conceal all potentially recognizable features on his face. His phone suddenly goes off and grabs it from his phone case, noticing a text message having come from Thrandeer himself. The fox opens it and slightly smirked at what it read.

“ _So it seems you and Jenny actually took your relationship to the next step, huh. You sly fox._ _;_ _)_ ”, and as soon as Matt read Thrandeer's text message, he chuckles lightly and replies to the message before putting his phone back into his phone case.

“Heh, I gotta feeling he's gonna live up to rubbing it on me”, Matt thought with a hearty chuckle. However, he loses his smirk and starts growing a serious expression on his face, his brows furrowing slightly enough to prove the sternness of his expression. “But on a more serious note, however, I have to try and steer clear from running into my brothers. Otherwise, not only will my identity be compromised, but I may end up putting my older siblings at risk”, he continued his train of thought in his head, not wanting to think about the possibility of his brothers being killed by any of the enemy clans or those of the Ishin-Mirkwood who have gone rogue. “If I am to successfully complete this mission, I have to remain in the shadows and leave no evidence of my presence there”, and with that, the fox finishes his train of thought and leans back against the sofa, watching the trees of various types passing by in a blurred motion. From here on out, his assignment in Zootopia has begun…

* * *

 

_**New Otsu Woods, roughly a few minutes later** _

Out of all places to get the heaviest amount of rain in New Otsu would be the New Otsu Woods roughly a ten miles north of Tomoe's residence. Rain kept rapidly falling onto the early soils and vegetation like bullets being fired from a Gatling gun. But while the sound of rain hitting the soil occupied the area, that wasn't the only sound that was heard. Because despite the raindrops hitting the ground hard, the sound of footsteps running along a path can also be heard as well.

Iizuka was currently rushing along the pathway as fast as he could, his katana and wakizashi both attached to the left side of his body. His attire consisted of a midnight blue kimono shirt along with a pair of black samurai bracers covering his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, upon which were mostly covered with the sleeves of his shirt. A pair of khaki hakama pants cover his legs through their entirety, with his shirt being tucked into them securely. Over his pants and his shirt was a straw jacket of sort along with a takuhatsugasa straw hat, more or less used to keep the rain off of his body.

The tanuki reaches a three way junction along the pathway, he himself having come from one of them. The other two either lead straight or to the right. He began looking at both directions for a moment before looking behind him with a keen pair of eyes, narrowing them slightly and surveying the area around him. Why he was doing this, nobody knew but himself. The examiner of executions quickly turns to the right and starts sprinting towards his destination, oblivious to the fact a huge, heavily built bear had been following him in the shadows.

Katagai had been following the tanuki for at least several minutes now under the behest of Thrandeer himself. Earlier that week, the clan leader had told him to follow a few people listed under a list Thrandeer thought were suspicious of being the traitor. Fortunately for most of them, they had been clean the entire time due to having dealt with business and, in one case, having come forth to tell him about their own dealings. Now only Iizuka and a couple of others remained on that list, and based on how the tanuki was moving, it seemed he might've been the one the clan had been looking for. But in all honesty, there was only one way to find out in order to be sure.

Soon enough, the tanuki had arrived to his destination and grabs a hold of the sliding shoji door, taking one more glance around the area before opening the small, one room temple. Inside the temple, three other mammals were waiting on the inside of the temple itself. Two of the three, one a cougar and the other a black and white Siberian husky, were dressed in what seems to be a modern take on a ninja outfit, the top consisting a long sleeve tight fitting black shirt with a sleeveless dark gray kimono shirt worn on top of it, with gray samurai bracers covering their forearms and back of their hand-paws. The husky bore a large ax similarly proportioned with the musculature to his body, while the cougar, who wasn't as muscular as his comrade, only bore a katana on him. Both of their hair color was black and tied back, with the exception of the cougar's bangs being brushed to the sides of his head.

As for the leader himself, he was sitting on a two foot tall altar between a pair of long floor lamps, which dimly illuminated the room enough to where it only brought light to the area around them. The leader was an orange Siberian tiger bearing long, brushed back gray colored hair along with a mustache and goatee on his muzzle. His attire was strongly identical to the others, with the exception of not wearing a black long sleeve shirt under the gray sleeveless kimono shirt. In fact, his strongly built arms and parts of his chest were exposed because of the fact he wasn't wearing one. A statue of some sort, possibly a Buddha, can be seen behind the leader. But on the wall behind the statue, a couple sheets of paper were attached on the left and right sides of the statue, with Japanese writing being written on the sheets of paper.

Upon entering the one room temple, the tanuki glares at the three of them calmly before kneeling down on the straw mat provided for him.

“Its a pleasure to see you three again”, Iizuka greeted the trio before shifting his gaze at the husky. “Sumita”, he greeted the husky, who nods back before the tanuki turns to the cougar on the right. “Nakajo”, he greeted the cougar before shifting his attention at the tiger. “Tatsumi”, the tanuki greeted the leader, with the tiger nodding at him in a similar manner.

“What news do you bring, Iizuka?” Tatsumi asked calmly with a stern expression on his face. Unaware to them, however, Katagai manages to arrive and quietly steps onto the wooden porch, sneaking near the wooden wall close to the shoji doors and gazing in the conspirator's direction, despite not being able to see the group from outside.

“Thrandeer's eluded me, but the fox is still under my control. He can be yours…” Iizuka began, a slight, sinister grin forming on his face. “For a… small price, that is”, the tanuki continued, a soft gasp coming from Katagai, whom began furrowing his eyes upon hearing this. And from there, he immediately realizes who the traitor was.

“I should've known…” Katagai scowled lowly, his volume being quiet enough to prevent the conspirators from hearing him. He was tempted to send Thrandeer a text, but in order to confirm his suspicions, he needed to wait until he had received more Intel on the matter.

“The fire has vanished from his eyes. His skills are diminishing everyday”, Iizuka explained with a soft smirk on his muzzle. “With the right preparations, he'll easy prey”, the tanuki concluded. But shortly after the tanuki finished, the tiger grunts softly and shifts his eyes at the wall where Katagai had been standing behind, having sensed his presence just now. Nakajo raises his left arm up and clutches a switch on his left samurai bracer with his right hand-paw, two spiked needles shooting directly from the bracer and towards Katagai's direction. They pierce through the wall before getting stuck on the walls. Although they missed the intended target, that was enough to give the bear a nasty shock and let him know one thing.

“Damn, they know I'm here”, Katagai thought quickly shortly before beginning to sprint away from the scene. “I have to tell Thrandeer about this before-” that was all he could thing before something grabs a hold of his head, the large, metallic hand-paw lifting him up slightly and began applying a deadly amount of pressure enough to cause an unimaginable amount of pain against his skull. the five dagger-like fingers press against his skull tightly to the point where it was slicing through the furred flesh, blood starting to drip from the wounds before Katagai starts screaming with incomprehensible, agonizing pain. He tried to flea with all of his might, but to no avail. Then _**'SPLICH'**_! His skull suddenly cracks open like a nut getting cracked open with a nut cracker. The unknown assailant drops the freshly deceased bear onto the ground before fleeing the scene, a soft scowl escaping the tanuki's mouth.

“Pitiful…” Iizuka said with closed eyes, only to reopen them sternly and shifting his gaze at the leader of the group. “Others may be close behind, so we have to act quickly”, the tanuki calmly added, the tiger giving him a grunted nod with understanding. “Enishi”, he called, the tiger's eyes turning to his right and gazing at the wall behind him, with Enishi stepping forth into the light.

Enishi was an orange and cream colored fox much like Matt and Tomoe, standing roughly around four feet four inches in height, with white, spiky hair covering a good portion of his head. Unlike Matt and Tomoe, however, his eyes were of a sapphire blue color bearing an icy cold look to them. He was about the age of forty, but barely looks twenty five thanks to plenty of exercise and a healthy diet. His body was well toned and somewhat muscular, enough to show he had enough skill in combat. His attire consisted of a dark blue, tight fitting tank top that was enough to show some of the muscle definition on his torso, a pair of similarly colored samurai bracers, a pair of orange, Chinese style pants with blue stripes running down the sides of his legs, and dark blue open toe boots. Lastly, a pair of small, round sunglasses were worn on his face as if to give the fox his trademarked look. His eyes narrow directly at the tanuki and places his hand-paws inside his pockets.

“What is it?” Enishi asked with a calmly stern tone.

“Tomorrow… prepare our bait”, Iizuka began before forming a sinister grin on his muzzle. “She'll be glad to see you”, he concluded, the fox nodding in response before turning around and heading out the back door, the shoji door opening and closing a few seconds later. The examiner of execution's attention now draws towards the leader in front of him. “Oh, there's one more thing I want to mention to you”.

“And that is?” Tatsumi asked, cocking a curious brow towards the tanuki.

“I received Intel from one of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members an hour ago regarding information on the assassin's whereabouts”, Iizuka began. “It appears he is heading towards Zootopia via bullet train as we speak. And due to the train's fast speed along with a good number of stops along the way, he should reach the city of his birth within the next four hours at the most”, the tanuki added, the tiger giving him a nod before turning his gaze towards the other ninjas. He nods at them dismissively, both Nakajo and Sumita nodding back and walking out of the shrine through the front door. Shortly after, Tatsumi stands up from his spot and turns towards the entrance, the tanuki doing the same and beginning to walk directly towards the back entrance. He stops halfway there and turns back to the leader. “And what are your plans, Tatsumi?” he asked.

“You needn't worry about that, Iizuka”, Tatsumi answered calmly despite the stern look on his face. “However, I must leave New Otsu and offer my services elsewhere. That I will tell you”, he finished, opening the shoji door and exiting the temple, closing the sliding door behind him before departing from the place. Iizuka turns to the rear entrance and heads towards its direction, shutting off the lights on the way and closing the door behind him. With the meeting concluded, the conspirators continue about with their business, with the body of Katagai remaining and his head continuing to bleed the bloody contents onto the earthly soil.

* * *

 

_**Savanna Central Station, Zootopia, four hours later** _

It isn't surprising that the many of the Train Stations in Zootopia would be at its busiest during the start of thanksgiving week, the busiest being in the Savanna Central Station. Many mammals from the smallest of prey to the biggest of predators began walking walking about the station, both arrivals and departures alike. Whether its coming to see family in the city or leaving Zootopia to visit their relatives in other parts of the country, that was their business, and their business alone. But for one particular case, a certain fox was here for business purposes.

Speaking of a certain fox, the bullet train Matt had rode to get to Zootopia had just arrived to the station, managing to get here four hours after his departure. Although going nearly about a hundred fifty to two hundred miles an hour, the train he rode had to stop at numerous stops to pick up passengers or drop some of them off. And now that the train came to the end of its line, the automatic doors open and the mammals occupying the passenger cars walk out of them and onto the platform. The last mammal who leaves the passenger cars was none other than the same fox who had left Zootopia with his mother over eight years ago, the same day his mother had died.

With Matt Wilde stepping foot upon the familiar landscape, the fox grabs a pair of shades from his left inner pocket and quickly putting them on. Although one of the reasons for putting them on was to shield his eyes from the bright lights, his eyes bearing nocturnal vision masking his eyes not necessarily from the lights, but to prevent any mammals he knew from potentially recognizing him via looking at his eyes. Thankfully with the use of the black, cloth muzzle mask, much of his features were hidden well and hardly distinguishable to the eye.

Now that he was in the city, the fox walks towards the escalator and takes a step on one of the large steps, waiting patiently for the escalating set of stairs to take him to the upper level of the station. He makes it up there roughly within twenty seconds before walking out of the station exit, passing by numerous mammals along the way and ignoring the glances from other mammals. Although his ears caught many of the conversations claiming him to be suspicious or some slick fox, a few of the conversations he had heard regarded him bearing a pair of swords on his left cheek. Fortunately, he makes it out of the station and began walking directly towards some of the buildings within the long distance. With him out of the station, now it was time to track down the radical factions of the enemy clans along with the rouge traitors.

Continuing to pass by many of the mammals as he did, though at a calmly casual pace to avoid suspicion from the others, he walks along the bridge connecting to the two fields. He occasionally survey the area to ensure nobody else was following him since his departure from the station only a minute ago. He gazes at the multi-screen sky scraper with logos such as 'Herd', 'Warren', and 'Konia!' attached to the top parts of the building. It began displaying random advertisements for various products for what he could tell, some of which he was familiar with himself. But in all honesty, he didn't care about any of that.

He soon arrives to the crosswalk and jogs right across the street towards the north-eastern direction, fast enough to avoid the oncoming traffic, but slow enough to keep the suspicion to a minimal. His eyes catch an alley roughly a hundred yard and walks directly at its location, using the alternate paths as a way to avoid being seen from as many of the mammals as possible. It might delay his arrival to the suspected sight, but it could be the other way around. Who knows?

A loud, thunderous ' **BOOM** ' goes off in the cloudy skies above all of the sudden, following the heavily pouring of rain hitting the heavily populated metropolis. The fox shrugs heavily as soon as this began happening, forcing him to quicken his pace along the alleyways as fast as he could. His facial expression was as stern as ever, despite having being covered by the cloth muzzle mask along with the large hood of his hoodie. His jacket may have helped keep him dry for the most part, but it didn't do much good with the other parts of his body. Plus it didn't seem the rain was gonna be letting up anytime soon.

Several minutes after dashing through the random pathways, he exits the alley and notices a trolley cart passing by along the tracks, the colors mostly being red with bits of black and gold added to the mix. The interior of the trolley seemed to be carrying roughly a dozen large passengers, both predator and prey alike, inside, its destination heading towards the northeastern part of the district. Now how convenient was that for him! Matt quickly sprints towards the trolley and jumps onto the back of it, luckily managing to avoid getting seen by the passengers and the operator alike. As an additional bonus, he's able to ride without having to get soaked any further than he already was, thanks to the back of the vintage trolley. He lays back against the wall of the trolley and sets his duffel bag next to his right, retaining his grip on the thick strap securely throughout the duration of the ride.

Roughly twenty minutes after he got onto the trolley did he arrive to the suspected area of the district, placing the bag behind his back before stepping off of the moving cart unnoticeably and rushing towards another alleyway in the distance. He immediately recognized the neighborhood he was in, the buildings being large, several story tall row houses lined up against each other horizontally. And this wasn't just any ordinary neighborhood. No, it was the one he grew up in since his birth up til the age of nine. He surveys the surroundings carefully while running along the alleyway he ran into. The fox makes it to the end of the trail before suddenly hiding behind the green dumpster on the left, his eyes peering to the right near the park where Little Rodentia lies. But what caught his eye wasn't on the park itself, but for who was currently right across the street.

Roughly three-fourths of a block away from Matt's position across the street stood a twenty-five year old fox, who was inside of the back of a van bearing various shades and colors of red and orange. The fox inside of the van was of a slender built and bearing the exact same fur colors and green eyes like his. Unlike Matt where he had long hair, the other fox didn't grow any hair or at least kept it short enough to where it blended in with the natural length of his fur. His nose was a dark purple color, which interestingly split complemented with his light green Hawaiian shirt he wore. A dark indigo necktie with red-and-blue stripes was wrapped around his neck under the collar. Lastly, his legs were covered in a pair of brownish-gray, possibly khaki pants.

He briefly moves his gaze from the other fox and notices a large number of lemmings in black and white business suits lined up near the van. At first, he cocks a curious brow towards the laid back looking fox across the street. But as he continues to gaze directly at the other vulpine, who was selling paw shaped popsicles to the lemmings, his eyes widen slightly upon recognizing who it was. How could he not recognize the fox, especially since he bore identical fur colors and eyes much like him.

“Shit…” Matt cursed softly with a growl. “Out of all the mammals, why did I have to run into my older brother, Nick? Especially since he's in the middle of a scam”, he asked himself following a shrug before grabbing the top part of his hood and pulling it to the front, shielding more of his facial features along with his long bangs. His eyes remain focused on the van and began to examine it quickly, noticing a sign saying 'Pawpsicles' and '$2'written in red, along with 'organic' written in green underneath the logo. His gaze shifts towards the left and notices another dark alley across the street, which was roughly the same distance away from Matt as the distance from him and the van Nick occupied. Now that he thought about it more, an idea starts coming into the assassin's mind. “Then again, since he's busy with selling his Pawpsicles to the lemmings, I think I might be able to get to the alleyway without my brother spotting me”, he thought following a soft grin forming on his mask covered muzzle.

With this idea now in mind, the fox places his hand-paws inside of his hoodie pockets and began walking across the street, the hood covering a good portion of any recognizable features that his shades or muzzle mask couldn't cover. He walks across the street directly towards the dark alley he spotted, albeit quickly to avoid getting seen by his own brother. He makes it to the other side of the road and enters the dark alleyway, unaware that a pair of green eyes had briefly spotted Matt's tail right as he entered the alley.

The moment he entered the alley was when the fox began to walk at a slightly faster pace, yet continues to retain his calm gesture while occasionally glancing around the other parts of the area. His bushy tail was already soaked, much like his clothes. But in all honestly, he didn't care, do long he doesn't suffer anymore delays in his mission. Speaking of his mission, the fox hears his phone going off and grabs it out of his phone case, discovering he had just received a text from Thrandeer himself. He opens the text and began reading what the message had read.

“ _I have received word_ _a few moments ago_ _from one of our own regarding_ _the whereabouts_ _of the enemy clans and rogue traitors._ _The meeting is taking_ _place inside the Savanna Heights Apartment_ _Complex_ _tonight at nine thirty._ _A contact will meet you a couple blocks away from the complex_ ”, the text read. “ _Remember,_ _only gather the information they speak about and email it to me upon returning. Do not kill them_ _until I give out the order_ _._ _I have already arranged a safe house for you in the woods a few miles from the Snowcastle Way Station in Tundratown. Go get yourself settled there in the meantime_ ”, and with the end of the message, the fox shrugs upon hearing about this.

If he was informed about this sooner, he could've taken a train from the Inner Loop line and got off at Tundratown, then take a train at the Crevasse Station to get to the Snowcastle Way Station. Fortunately for him, not only did he know exactly where the meeting was located, but he also knew there the next train station was located, which happened to be Peak St Station. On foot, it would take him at least forty give minutes to get to the said station. He wouldn't be in no rush whatsoever… that is if it wasn't pouring heavily outside. To his luck, however, he spots a cab nearby and whistles loud enough to grab the driver's attention, securing his hold on his bag and rushing towards the large vehicle up ahead. Opening the back drivers side passenger's door and placing his duffel bag inside, the fox quickly steps into the car and closes the door

“Good day, lad! Where can I take you, today?” The taxi driver, a black, gray, and white furred wolf, asked, bearing an accent strongly identical to a Scottish accent.

“Peak St Train Station, please”, Matt answered with a monotone tone of voice.

“You got it!” the taxi driver replied professionally before pressing on the gas, the taxi driving off towards the fox's destination in the midst of the heavy rain.

* * *

 

_**An Unknown Alley, two blocks from the Savanna Heights Apartment Complex, 9:15 pm** _

Everything was silent outside of the apartment complex, not a single mammal being seen on the property whatsoever. But roughly a couple blocks away from the complex, a mammal was inhaling a cigarette and exhaling the smoke though his mouth a couple seconds after inhaling the smoke. A lone, 1 foot nine inch tall (not counting the ears), twenty year old fennec fox was the one smoking the cigarette outside of the complex, his body leaning back against the front of his sports car. The color of his fur was of a sandy color, with his ears, forearms, and forelegs being of a brown color. A blood red Mohawk can be seen on the fennec's head, which slowly fades to black at the tips of the spiky hair. Similarly, a goatee was seen on his chin, bearing the exact same colors as his Mohawk. His icy blue eyes shine brightly in the darkness of night, the only thing that can be noticed on the fennec rather easily.

The garments he wore practically matched the style of his hair and goatee in a unique way. For instance, while he wore a black shirt with the sleeves torn off, along with the Anarchy Symbol written in crimson red, the pants were tucked inside of a pair of midnight gray hakama pants. Several holes can be seen on his hakama pants, but were fortunately covered with a pair of tight fitting long john pants underneath. Black open toe boots were worn over his feet-paws while a pair of black samurai bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, with silver spikes being attached around the bracers to give a more menacing look to them. Finally, a fairly long katana and a short wakizashi was attached on the left side of his pants, the wakizashi bearing about a foot long and the other being about eighteen inches in length.

He had arrived to the complex about fifteen minutes ago under the behest of Thrandeer himself, the location where the suspected meeting would take place between the enemy clans and the rough Ishin-Mirkwood traitors. But he wasn't there to ambush them (at least not yet anyways). No, he was waiting for the fox many called Battousai the Animal Slayer, particularly Matt Wilde. Now that he's been mentioned, the fennec turns to the left and notices a figure approaching his direction. At first, he places his left hand-paw on the sheath of his katana and flicks the sword upward, the exposed portion of his weapon faintly reflecting the streetlights noticeably. But as soon as he recognized the mammal being a fox, and literally a well built one at that, the fennec sheaths his sword and began looking at him with a calm, monotonically glare.

Matt had just arrived to the suspected location via foot from the train station, having needing to take one in order to get to the Savanna Central District. The articles of clothing, the torso at least, was the exact same clothing he wore when he had arrived, albeit having been washed and dried after having rained earlier and leaving his shades at home. As for his bottoms, that was an entirely different story. Instead, he wore a midnight black pair of cargo pants with a white fox skull with angel wings sewn on the front part of his right thigh. Like always, the leg openings of his pants were safely tucked into his black open toe boots. With his long katana and short wakizashi equipped on the fox, he was ready for business, beginning with his jade green eyes fixing themselves towards icy blue.

“So you must be the infamous Battousai Thrandeer told me about over the phone, are you not?” the fennec asked with a monotonic tone of voice, an apparent English accent apparent in his voice.

“Yes, though please call me Matt, if you could”, Matt replied with an identical tone, grabbing a hold of his own hood with his right hand-paw and his muzzle mask with his left, pulling them both down to reveal his own face. “And you must be the contact Thrandeer told me about, am I right?”

“Yes”, the fennec replied with a nod. “The name's Brian, by the way. Its a pleasure to meet your acquaintance”, Brian added, grabbing the butt of the cigarette with his right index and middle fingers respectively, pulling it off of his mouth and flicking the ashes off of the burnt end of the cigarette. He drops it to the ground and stomps on it with his right foot-paw, twisting his foot a couple times shortly before shifting his attention towards Matt. “Alright, Matt. The complex is only a couple blocks from here. We'll be leaving the van here and going to the place on foot. That way the cops or any of the suspected clans won't find anything suspicious on us”, he explained, turning towards the alley behind him and walking along the dark corridors of the alley. “I'll explain further once we get to the complex”, the fennec finished, the fox giving him a soft nod before placing both his hood and muzzle mask back on.

“Understood”, Matt replied shortly before following him into the darkness of the alleyway, their destination set upon the apartment complex.

Ten minutes after they had departed from the meeting location, the two vulpine males arrive to the alleyway behind the apartment complex, both of them stopping several feet from a ladder leading to the top of the building. The apartment complex was roughly eight stories high and bore an appearance similar to a four star hotel to a certain extent. The colors of the walls were a sandy brown color with the exception of the frames of the windows, which they themselves were a lighter sandy brown color. Lights can be seen from the windows of some of the rooms on the upper floors, which was enough to lighten the alleyway to where they can see better. Then again, since both of them bore nocturnal vision, it honestly wasn't necessarily needed to see. Brian turns towards the assassin and places his right hand-paw inside of his pocket, with his left grabbing the top portion of his katana's sheath.

“Alright, we're here”, Brian began, his head moving directly towards the ladder and looking right up at the top of it, which was eight stories high. “Their room will be inside of the penthouse on the top floor. You will be climbing onto the roof and looking over the glass windows above the penthouse roof. I will be patrolling the alley and keeping a close eye on things”, the fennec added while moving his gaze from the top of the ladder to the left, looking down at the street leading to the entrance of the complex. His eyes gaze back at the assassin before turning to the right. “Alright, get to it, Battousai”, the smaller fox finished before rushing towards the same pathway he came from, with the fox nodding at the fennec and running to the ladder.

With the assignment finally beginning, with just a few short minutes to get to the top, the assassin grabs one of the ladder steps and began climbing to the top of the roof. The climb up the fire escape route took at least a good couple of minutes, but the fox soon manages to get up to the top and walks quietly towards the floor window on the roof, completely oblivious to the fact a van bearing the various shades of red and orange had arrived to the apartment complex parking lot.

* * *

 

_**Savanna Heights Apartment Complex, eighth floor** _

All but the sounds of footsteps occupy the hallway on the eighth floor complex, the source of he noise coming from a group of three mammals approaching the door to the penthouse. The three mammals were all predators respectively, consisting a gray fox, an Ethiopian wolf bearing the various shades and tints of brown and cream fur, and a clouded leopard bearing dark gray or ochreous ground color largely obliterated by black and dark dusky-gray blotched pattern. Although of different species, all three of them bore extremely identical clothing to associate their affiliation to the Ishin-Mirkwood clan prior to going rogue. Their clothes consist of a black tight fitting athletic shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to their relatively built forearms along with a pair of olive green cargo pants, with the leg openings tucked into their black open toe combat boots. A pair of black samurai bracers were worn over their forearms and back of their hand-paws, fitting tightly, but snugly around the forearm for a comfortable feel. Lastly, each of them bore a long katana and a short wakizashi attached on the left sides of their belts, which was proportionate to their species' size.

The wolf grabs a key card from his left pants pocket and pulls it out right as the trio arrive to the entrance of the door, the lupine swiping the card through the card reader and placing the card back into his pocket. A soft ' _ **click**_ ' noise goes off half a second later and allowing the trio to enter the apartment penthouse. And inside of the apartment, the trio gaze towards the Ishin-Rivendell and the Orimaku clans respectively, both groups having nine members each. The Ishin-Rivendell clan wore silver colored, loose fitting kimono shirts our tight fitting athletic shirts along with dark gray hakama or cargo pants to signify their affiliation. The Orimaku clan wore brown or cerulean blue colored shirts, either loose fitting kimono shirts or tight fitting athletic ones, along with a pair of midnight black/blue colored hakama or cargo pants to signify their affiliation. What the two clans had in common were that they all wore black samurai bracers along with black open toe boots. And like all other clan members or modern day samurai, they were all equipped with a long katana and short wakizashi proportionately sized with their species' size.

“Ah, good evening, gents! You're right on time”, the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader, Tashio Yakima, a wolf with black, gray, and white fur greeted with a stern grin on his face. The three rough Ishin-Mirkwood clan members enter the room and close the door behind them, muting the outsiders from the conversation that was to begin soon. “It wasn't easy sneaking away from the watchful eyes of both the Ishin-Mirkwood clan and the Neo-Shogunate armies, wasn't it?”

“It wasn't, but at least we managed to escape without any bodily harm, no less”, the Ishin-Mirkwood gray fox replied monotonically following a soft grin forming on his muzzle. “So what do you need, Tashio?”

“You all know why we are here tonight, especially you Ishin-Mirkwood rogues”, Tashio replied, crossing his arms as his, along with the eyes of the others, remain fixed upon the Ishin-Mirkwood rogues. “But”, he began, turning his attention back towards his clan along with the Orimaku clans respectively. “For those who do not know, allow me to explain everything”, the Ishin-Rivendell leader continued calmly, placing his hand-paws behind his back and walking directly towards the middle of the room. “Every single one of us have fled Kawasabus under the one common factor we all share: to spread the Neo-Shogunate's influence across the country. And in order for all of this to work according to plan, we must begin spreading our ideals in the most progressive city to date”.

“Zootopia, in other words”, the Ishin-Mirkwood clouded leopard said with slightly narrow eyes.

“Yes”, Tashio replied. “After all, in a city where everyone can be anything, this would be the best place to start. Of course, we'll start spreading our Neo-Shogunate ideals within the underground first before we come out into the open. By the time we do, no one will be able to oppose our rule, and we will be able to spread our influence across the entire nation”, the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader continued, his grin becoming more sinister by the second. “Oh, how I can taste the sweet victory on my lips, crushing all clans and other radicals who oppose us with every military faction the government has to offer us!” he concluded before one of the Orimaku clan members, a male ocelot particularly, stands up from his seat and shifts his eyes towards the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader.

“We all can, leader, but there's just one problem”, the ocelot began with a growl in his voice.

“I'm well aware of our problem, and I was just about to get to that”, Tashio replied calmly and fixes his eyes directly towards everyone else in the room. “While we may be able to spread our influence in the underground with ease, spreading it into the open is another story”, the wolf continued following a soft snarl. “So long as the Battousai remains alive, along with the other radicals, clans, and extremists aligned with him, our plans will no doubt shatter like glass in an instant”, the clan leader continued, some of the attendees becoming a bit rowdy during the talk.

Unaware to the occupants inside of the apartment, Matt Wilde had been keeping a close eye on them from one of the ceiling windows. Although the window's muffed much of the dialogue, his keen hearing managed to make up most of whatever the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader had said. Moving away from the window as he did, the fox quietly steps onto the eighth floor room and leans back against the brick wall, texting Thrandeer and giving him the update on everything he had heard. Pressing the send button on the touch screen, now he waits for further orders from the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader before doing anything else. He turns his head to the left and closes his eyes, focusing his ears closely on the conversation inside.

“However, while the clans and extremists rebelling against the Neo-Shogunate can still potentially prove to be a problem, we mustn't focus on them for the time being”, Tashio began. “We must focus our attention on the Battousai along with the other key figures before we can eliminate the other rebel clans. If we can kill the assassin before he can eliminate our armies-”.

“Then without a doubt the rebellion will die”, the Orimaku clan leader, a brown horse with long, brushed back, raven black hair, interrupted.

“Precisely”, Tashio replied with a soft, sinister grin on his face, yet was soon replaced with a frown within a matter of seconds. “However, I advise you to refrain from interrupting me while I'm speaking, Takeshi”, the wolf continued with a calmly monotone voice. One of the other Orimaku clan members attempted to stand up after hearing the response, but the clan leader of his faction raises his right arm up and prevents him from standing. The member looks at the clan leader curiously following an understanding, albeit disdainful nod, sitting back down at his spot and setting his eyes upon the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader. Another member of the same clan raises his right hand-paw up and catches the attention of the clan leader. “Yes?”

“After the Battousai's dead, what are we to do about the Ishin-Mirkwood scum who remain in Kawasabus”, the Orimaku clan member asked.

“We will deal with them and the other extremists once we're done with the Battousai”, Tashio answered before turning from him and gazing at the other clan members. “Now that we know what must be done, does anyone have any suggestions on what or how we can deal with this menace?” the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader asked monotonically, completely oblivious to the fact their target was just outside the window where the fire escape was. Speaking of which, the fox's phone starts vibrating and pulls it out of his phone case, unlocking it by sliding his thumb horizontally across the touch screen. He discovers a text message coming from Thrandeer and opens the message, giving a small nod upon seeing the contents it read.

“ _I gave an order to_ _Brian_ _several minutes_ _ago_ _to reposition himself on the eighth floor_ ”, the text message from Thrandeer read. “ _I just received a text message from him telling me he has just reached the eight floor. Once he ambushes the meeting from the front door, attack from the fire escape window_ ”, and with the end of the message, the fox places his phone back into his phone case before focusing his attention back to the conversation on the inside of the apartment.

But instead of hearing the chattering voices of the occupants inside, he faintly heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. One of the Ishin-Mirkwood rogues walks at the door and began to unlock it, unaware that Brian was the one knocking on the front door. Oh, how the irony began to play out in Matt's mind, a soft smirk admittedly forming on his face. He may not be thrilled about killing them, but he couldn't help but be thrilled about the irony of the whole thing. The Ethiopian wolf twists the doorknob slowly and began opening it in a similar pace.

“Hey, can't you read the fucking-” unfortunately, the Ishin-Mirkwood wolf couldn't finished what he was trying to say after feeling Brian's blade piercing through his chin right through the forehead, the blade piercing right through the upper part of the back of his skull. This action alone was enough to startle all of the occupants inside of the room. Brian pulls his blade out of the victim's skull and jumps back a bit, the wolf's corpse falling onto the ground with a loud ' _ **THUD**_ ' and spraying the bloody contents onto the ground. Most of the occupants quickly draw their swords and glare directly at the punk dressed fennec, who was gazing back at them with a sinister grin on his face.

“I got a phone call from my boss a few minutes ago telling me about a pest problem on the eighth floor penthouse”, Brian began, his smirk widening and his eyes narrowing at the large group. He raises his bloodied sword upward and twists the handle ninety degrees to the right, the sharp end of the blade pointing directly towards the others. “And it looks like I came to the right place”, the fennec finished sinisterly right before darting into the room and began attacking the other occupants inside.

Everybody immediately engaged in battle by rushing towards the fennec and attempting to kill him by either thrusting their blades, performing horizontal, vertical, or even diagonal sweeps at their assailant. Well, almost everybody fought back.… One of them, particularly a wild cat, instantly cowered and began rushing towards the fire exit, hoping to flee from battle and the fennec's wrath. Oh how that poor mammal had no idea he was about to pay the ultimate price for his actions. Because the instant he opens the fire escape window, a katana with a twenty six inch blade pierces right through his skull, the blood splattering from both the entrance and exit of the fatal wound respectively. The blade didn't stay pierced through his skull, however, the owner of the weapon pulling the blade upward and cutting through the skull like butter. With the corpse of the Orimaku clan member dropping to the ground, the others turn to face the assassin standing right outside the fire escape window, the fox's sinister green eyes glaring directly towards his enemies.

“Shit! Its the Battousai!” an Ishin-Rivendell clan member growled with unexpected surprise, with the fox retaining the same stern look on his face while entering the apartment. Some of the clan members, Ishin-Rivendell and Orimaku alike, quickly turn towards the fox with their blades drawn at him.

“Aw, you guys miss me?” Matt cooed darkly with a soft smirk on his muzzle before frowning directly at the enemy and rogue clans. And before anyone else could reply, the fox suddenly starts dashing towards the Neo-Shogunate clans and began slashing and hacking each of them one by one, blood beginning to splatter across the room. Hell, the way Matt was killing them practically bathed the entire room in blood, the blood splattering onto the walls like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Brian also had his fair share of the killing spree as well, having already killed seven of the twenty one occupants inside of the apartment penthouse. His sights turn towards the two remaining Ishin-Mirkwood traitors and suddenly butchers them with the use of his katana, slicing their torsos diagonally in half, their severed bodies dropping onto the ground and staining the wooden floor with their blood. Unknown to the fennec, Tashio had raised his sword and attempted to perform a vertical sweep against the fennec as an attempt to slice the small fox in half. But Matt's blade piercing right through the wolf's skull stopped him dead on his tracks, the Ishin-Rivendell clan leader dropping his blade shortly before the Battousai pulls his own blade out of his victim's head. The leader drops onto the ground with a loud ' _ **THUD**_ ' within half a second.

The fennec nods once at him before turning around and preparing to fight against the rest of the occupants inside the room. But it seems the battle had ended much sooner than he realized, seeing the severed bodies of every occupant inside the room laying dead on the floor, Ishin-Rivendell and Orimaku alike. Though given the circumstances about having the Battousai here, it honestly wasn't surprising he would've ended up eliminating them swiftly. But one thing that did surprise the fennec was the ingenuity of his kills, the major factor being how clean the attacks were.

“Shit, man. I knew you were skilled, but I didn't think you were this deadly, pal”, Brian commented with a slight chuckle while the four foot tall Battousai was grabbing a smooth rag from his left cargo pocket and using it to clean the blade with one, thorough swipe.

“Being an assassin for over three years and slaying nearly four hundred mammals will do that”, Matt replied, placing the bloodied cloth back into his cargo pocket before the fennec grabs his own rag from the left hakama pants pocket and uses it to clean the blade with one, through stroke. With their weapons cleaned, both he and Matt sheath their weapons before examining the gruesome scene.

“Perhaps, but no point in sticking around for much longer. Don't need the cops barging in here and finding us at the bloodied scene”, Brian bluntly said, shutting the front door and beginning to rush towards the fire escape route outside the penthouse window. But once he was at the window, he turns around and faces the assassin. “The door has a self locking mechanism installed. So pretty much nobody can enter the apartment unless they have a key card for the penthouse”, the fennec explained. “Either way, this should help buy us some time to get the hell outta here before any of the cops show up. Now lets get the fuck outta here!”, he finished and quickly turns around, rushing out of the window and down the metallic staircase leading to the ladder. Matt quickly follows suit and shuts the windows behind him, following the fennec down to the bottom of the dark alley with the intention of getting the fuck outta here, lest he bring unwanted attention upon himself.

* * *

 

Two minutes after the two fled from the bloody scene of the grisly assassinations did another pair of foxes just arrive to the staircase leading to the eighth floor, one of them being a short fennec fox and the other being a four foot tall red fox. The red fox was identified as Nick Wilde, the same fox Matt had identified shortly after Matt had nearly bumped into him earlier that day. His attire was practically the same as it was when the assassin saw him, with the exception of a cobalt blue hoodie covering his green Hawaiian button up shirt. As for the fennec fox, his identity was unknown. But one thing was for certain, however: both of them were carrying a large, wooden crate up to one of the apartments on the eighth floor.

The fennec fox, like Nick, was of a slender built, bearing an oval-shaped face and large ears, each nearly the size of his head. A large portion of his fur is a brownish-gold color, with the exception of his face, palms, paws and the soles of his feet being a sandy color. He also has a black nose, light brown eyes with a notable case of periorbital dark circles beneath them, along with equally dark eyelids. His attire consists of a black collared T-shirt with a red stripe and sliced diamond on the left side of it, with a barely noticeable white tank top being worn under the said shirt. A pair of olive colored shorts cover his thighs and ran down just a couple inches under his knees.

A couple minutes after reaching the staircase with a heavy crate in their possession, the two foxes reach the top of the stairs and thus making it to the eighth floor at long last. They would've gotten there sooner if they had taken the elevator and had a dolly to carry the crate, but unfortunately, the elevator had issues along with a dolly being unavailable for use. And now that they have, both of them begin walking towards the eighth floor penthouse with the heavy crate in arms, completely oblivious to the bloody deed that took place inside the room only minutes ago.

“Hey, Finnick, up the pace! I gotta be in bed in the next hour”, Nick scolded the fennec fox with an annoyed tone, trying to increase the pace of his own walking despite how heavy the damn wooden crate was. Finnick growls in an annoyed tone and suddenly sets the end of the wooden crate he held onto the floor, marching directly towards his partner and decking him upside of the head. “Ow! What the hell was that for, pal?!”

“Maybe if you kept the fuckin' crate steady, then we probably would've been at the penthouse right about now!!” Finnick growled angrily from Nick's rude comment. The red fox merely chuckles and shakes his head almost humorously, a scowl now escaping the fennec's muzzle almost immediately after hearing his soft laughter. “Hey, what's so god damn funny?!”

“Aw, does Finny need a big, strong guy to settle his nerves?” Nick cooed jokingly with a soft grin on his muzzle, his eyes playfully narrow and moving his brows up and down a couple times in a similar manner. Finnick growls and attempts to deck him again, but this time Nick was quick to dodge the blow before it could strike his face. “Whoa! Hey! Easy there, Finnick! I'm just fucking with you”, the fox claimed with his hand-paws raised in front of him as an attempt to cool the fennec down somewhat. Fortunately, it seemed to have done worked (at least for the most part that is), much to his relief. “But seriously, want me to go grab a couple of mammals from the penthouse to lend a helping hand-paw?” he asked, placing his weary hand-paws inside of his pants pockets.

“Yeah, whatever”, Finnick merely growled in annoyance and placing his right hand-paw on his forehead, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples in a circular motion.

With the fennec occupying himself by rubbing his own forehead as an attempt to calm down, Nick shifts his attention towards the penthouse entrance fifty yard away and began walking towards the closed door. Fifty yards soon became forty, then thirty, twenty, fifteen, and ten. And when he was only ten yards away did he catch a faint scent of iron filling the air around him, causing the fox to momentarily stop on his tracks and cock a curious brow at the smell. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, but whatever the smell was, it didn't smell quite right. Regardless, however, the fox shrugs it off and merely continues to progress towards the front door.

He reaches the front door within five seconds and pulls both of his hand-paws from his pockets, clenching the right and knocking on the door three times. No answer. He waited half a minute for a response before knocking on the door again, this time a bit harder than he did last time. Again, no answer. Were they not home, or perhaps sleeping, he wondered. Whatever the reason, he needed at least one or two mammals to help them carry the heavy crate inside. With a soft shrug, the fox tilts his head down and began reaching into his left pocket for something, and that's when he had made an interesting, unsettling discovery.

Apparently, a crimson colored liquid had stained a small portion of the dark brown wooden floor, the source of the liquid appearing to have come from inside of the penthouse. Now why was there some sort of liquid staining the floor like this, and having come from inside the apartment itself? Was it some sort of red wine, crimson rum, or perhaps something else? Whatever it was, he didn't know. But the thing that unsettled him the most about the discovery was the fact the metallic scent was much more apparent over here than it was ten yards behind him. Wait, could that crimson liquid be…?

He quickly dismisses the thought and pulls a spare key card for the penthouse he got while at the lobby roughly twenty minutes ago. The vulpine steps forward and began moving the card to the card reader, accidentally stepping on the faintly warm liquid before-wait! Faintly warm? That immediately caught his attention right on the spot. His eyes lower towards the small pool of the liquid and began examining it a bit closely. Metallic smell, crimson color? Could it be…?

Now he was really damn curious about what the hell this liquid was, and he needed to find out now! Because whatever it was, it was still fairly fresh. What exactly happened inside of the penthouse while he and Finnick were trying to get that crate up here?

The fox cautiously swipes the card through the card reader, although at a decent enough pace for the card reader to read his card. An apparent ' _ **click**_ ' noise goes off to signal the door unlocking for the card's holder. Nick cautiously grabs a hold of the rod shaped doorknob and pulls it downward, his heart began beating hard, and his heart beat was surprisingly audible. With the knob pulled all the way down, he slowly backs away enough and began opening the door very slowly, unsure of what it was he was about to see.

“Excuse me! My buddy and I have this crate outside, and we could-” and that was all Nick managed to say right before his eyes shot wide open and his jaw drops. The scene he now bestowed upon was something he did NOT expect to see.

Inside the penthouse lay the bodies of twenty one mammals, ranging from the size of a fox to the size of a gazelle. But what really got the fox was the current condition of their corpses, many of them having their body parts literally severed off. Their blood had literally painted the entire room in heavy splatters, much to the point it looked like a Jackson Pollock painting. Now that he was seeing this, it all made sense! The true source of the metallic scented crimson he smelt was the blood of these mammals! And from how fairly warm it felt, he immediately figured this bloody deed happened sometime while they were trying to get the heavy ass wooden crate up to the eighth floor from the lobby. He found himself taking a few steps back before accidentally tripping onto the ground and landing on his ass. But he honestly didn't care. His heart was pounding in fear, his brows were pointing upward, and his breathing became ecstatic. And all while he appeared to be on the edge of having a panic attack, he was completely oblivious to hearing an annoyed growl coming an angrily approaching fennec behind him.

“Hey! What's the big hold up, Nick! Why aren't you-” Finnick growled angrily, only for his angered expression to shift towards immediate shock. His furrowed eyes immediately shoot wide open, his mouth agape, and totally speechless to the bloody sight he now saw only a couple yards away. “Holy shit…! What the fuck happened here?!” he asked with a shocked tone of voice before darting directly inside of the penthouse, snapping Nick out of his trance and gazing directly at his friend after he had entered the apartment.

“Finnick! What the hell are you doing?!” Nick yelled quickly before suddenly standing up and darting into the apartment penthouse. And holy hell, was the bloody sight much worse than what he'd seen from the front doorstep. Much of the living room was literally drenched in blood along with pieces of the victims' vital organs added into the mix. The smell was just as horrific as the sight itself. No, scratch that! The smell was even worse than the gruesome scene, thanks to the two vulpine males having a strong sense of smell.

“Who could've done this shit…?” Finnick asked, his eyes gazing at the horrific sight and doing his best to ignore the grotesque scent filling the air.

“I don't know, buddy… but I don't think we should stick around here anymore”, Nick replied quickly with a panicked tone. “Last thing we need is the cops to think of the wrong thing if they show up. Or worse, Mr. Big's goons!” he added, his eyes shifting left and right almost constantly, looking at all of the bodies in pure horror. “Speaking of Mr. Big… could his goons have anything to do with this?” the fox asked, the thought of his goons being the cause of this becoming rather frightening with obtaining skills such as this. And with how the times were going for him, whatever happened between Mr. Big and Nick did not seem pleasant.

“Does it look like I'm an expert at Forensics?!” Finnick snapped angrily. But despite his outburst, he couldn't help but examine the wounds on some of the bodies carefully. And after taking about half a minute to look over the wounds carefully, one thing was certain. “But honestly, I don't think Mr. Big's polar bears had anything to do with this. For one, these cuts are way too clean and precise to assume Mr. Big's goons involvement in this. And two, who the hell uses samurai swords to kill mammals nowadays”, the fennec concluded with with a calm tone, his eyes fixing themselves upon his frightened partner.

“If it wasn't Mr. Big's goons, then who could've done this?” Nick asked with a panicked tone in his voice, though not as panicked as he was a few moments ago.

“I can't say on who the fucker behind these killings is”, Finnick began. “But whoever was responsible for this seems to know what they're doing. Especially if they have a skill level of an extremely high caliber”, he concluded, quickly getting back up onto his feet-paws and walking towards his partner. “C'mon, Nick, lets get the fuck outta here before anybody barges in and thinks we're the ones behind this mess”, and with those words, Finnick quickly began darting out of the apartment penthouse and ran downstairs. Nick takes one last, short glance at the environment around the room before immediately departing from the place, wanting to rid himself of this abhorred place and of the grotesque scene that was now behind him.

* * *

 

_**Tundratown, 9:47 pm** _

The drive to Tundra, for the most part, has been silent throughout, neither one of them uttering a word except for Matt giving Brian directions to his safe house. Since they had fled the scene, Matt's scar had began bleeding shortly after the killings happened, prompting the fox to remove his muzzle mask in order to tend to the wound. Fortunately, Brian had lent him a rag to use to help cover the wound and attempt to stop the bleeding. Soon enough, the fennec manages to arrive to the drop off location near a trail leading to the woods and pulls the van over to the right side of the road, with the Battousai stepping out of the truck and turning his attention towards the fennec.

“Thanks for the ride, Brian”, Matt said calmly to the fennec fox. “If I were you, I would try and get out of Zootopia as fast as possible, or lay low for a good while at the very least”, the assassin suggested with the fennec merely chuckling towards the fox with a smirk on his face.

“Appreciate the concern, buddy, but this ol' fennec here can handle himself”, Brian replied jokingly with a slight, amused grin on his muzzle. “Take care, Battousai”, and with those departing words, he turns his attention towards the road and drives off into the distance.

With the fox now alone in the snowy weather, he turns towards the path behind him and began walking into the darkness of the woods. The only sound occupying the dark woods were the cawing of the nightly birds, the hooting of owls,and the cricking of crickets. The fox's left hand-paw grips his long katana securely and continues to walk along the snowy path, not caring if the snow was freezing his furred toes.

Several minutes pass relatively quick, and the one story safe house was not much father from his position. In fact, he can faintly see the wooden cabin roughly eight hundred meters from his position. His pace quickens only slightly, yet eagerly with the need to return to his temporary home. But a faint sound from behind causes his ears to flicker and his feet-paws to stop on their tracks, his eyes moving slowly to the left before slowly shifting to the right. Something didn't feel right at all. Had someone been following him, or was it just a bird? He turns his head to the left slightly and places his thumb on the guard of his katana and pushing the sword upward, a couple inches of his blade revealing itself to the darkness of the woods. The fox keeps his position where he is, and his eyes continues to examine the environment around him. After about a minute, the fox sheaths his sword and continues progressing towards the cabin up ahead.

After another five minutes of walking in the cold weather, the fox arrives to his front doorstep and grabs a key from underneath the welcome rug, sticking the key into the lock and twisting it ninety degrees to the left. He twists it back ninety degrees and pulls the key out before placing it inside of his left cargo pocket for safe keeping, opening the door and stepping into the house. He quickly closes the door and locks it, unaware that both a pair of blue and brown eyes had been watching him from a safe distance.

The instant he entered the house, he walks towards the antique couch and takes a seat on the left cushion. He pulls up his phone out of the case and slides his thumb horizontally across the screen, scrolling through his phone and pulling up Thrandeer's contact, pressing the app and the dial button on the touch screen. The vulpine places his phone on the right side of his ear and listens to the dial tone, soon hearing the other line picking up immediately.

“'Your pest problem has been taken care of, sir. Those who attended the meeting, including the Ishin-Rivendell leader, are no more”, Matt said to the clan leader, his expression remaining monotonically calm as he spoke.

“ _Excellent, now we won't have to worry about them spreading their Neo-Shogunate ideals across the country and attempt to overthrow the government anytime soon_ ”, Thrandeer replied over the phone with similar tone.

“Right, though keep a close eye on things while I'm tending to business here”, Matt began. “The Ishin-Rivendell, Orimaku, and the rouges betraying the Ishin-Mirkwood clan appear to be spreading their ideals in the underground before going out into the open. But apparently, the only way they can come out into the open-”

“ _Is for them to kill you in order to succeed_ ”, Thrandeer interrupted on the other line.

“Yes”, Matt replied with a nod. “Along with the eradication of all the other clans and extremists aligned with us as well”, the fox concluded, right before his ears perk upward, his eyes gazing towards his right and narrowing them slightly. “Katzuma, I'll call you back as soon as I can”, he added before pressing the 'end call' button on his phone and places it inside of his phone case.

His eyes remain fixed upon the direction where he heard the suspicious noise and grabs a firm hold of his samurai katana by the handle, his left hand-paw grabbing the sheath before pulling the sword out of the sheath. With his blade drawn, the fox began walking towards the window in slow, calm steps. Had he been watched since he had been dropped off? And for what reason assuming this was the case? Either way, he was about to find out…

… or what would've been the case if something didn't stick him on the back of his neck, the fox's eyes widening upon feeling the object protruding the back of his neck. His eyes slightly widen upon realizing what he had been shot with.

“Shit! Tranquilizer dart”, Matt thought in his mind and immediately turns around, his vision blurring in and out despite his best attempt to keep them focused. He prepares for battle against the intruders nonetheless, but before he could attempt to attack them, however, the fox suddenly collapses onto his right side and began breathing heavily. His strength was waning, but at least he had enough to slowly places his weapon inside of its sheath. His eyelids began to close, and his vision was blurring heavily. Somehow, he was able to make out the ones behind the unexpected ambush, his attackers appearing to be snow white polar bears formally dressed like they were in a mafia of some sort. Which crime family they served, he didn't know. The last thing he saw was two blurry figures surrounding his body and kneeling to his left and right respectively.

Then… everything fades to black….


	15. Bloody Rain in Zootopia

_ **Bloody Rain in Zootopia** _

  


Darkness. Pure, pitch black darkness. That was all Matt can see right about now. He wasn't made aware of anything else around him. His body couldn't feel anything, his mind cannot process what had happened, and his heart cannot feel the environment around him. But there was one thing he can feel, however: pure, throbbing pain, directly inside of his head.

Painful groans began escaping the assassin's muzzle right as he leans his upper body forward, his eyelids slowly beginning to open. His vision was still blurry, and he couldn't decipher his surroundings whatsoever. It was a bright light at first, but his eyes soon readjust to the dimly lit room he was currently in. The blurriness that affected his vision soon began to clarify, and it wouldn't be long before the fox was able to discern his surroundings, thus noticing the laminated wood flooring, white painted walls, and an antique floor lamp dimly lighting the room. He wasn't sure where he was exactly, but he was sure as hell wasn't inside his safe house.

“Where… where am I?” Matt uttered softly, looking around the twenty foot long by fifteen foot wide room he was in. His head began throbbing harder in pain and attempts to move his right hand-paw towards it. But, there was one small problem. “What… why the hell are my hand-paws cuffed behind me?” he asked himself, moving his hand-paws up along his back carefully and looks back, grunts escaping his muzzle as he began trying to break free from his binds, but to no avail. “Shit!” the fox swore under his breath and relaxes his arms, his hand-paws trailing back down near the bottom part of his back.

With a heavy sigh escaping his muzzle, he leans his head forward and shuts his eyes. His hand-paws were practically cuffed with some sort of strong, metallic binds, the shackles being about half the length of his forearms. He was practically stuck in here with no way out thanks to the cuffs keeping his bound behind him. His eyes open and gaze towards the door fifteen feet to the right, examining it closely and seeing a silver, metallic barricade blocking the other side securely through the door's window. And after seeing that, he knew for sure he was stuck here. He had to get out! There had to be a way! But how could he if his hand-paws were cuffed by thick shackles. Unless…

Eureka! All he needs to do is focus his mind on the shackles and use the strength of his arms to break them. How did he not think of that until now? But no matter, because the vulpine shuts his eyes and began pulling his forearms away from one another as an attempt to strain the metallic binds that were binding his arms. Growls began escaping his muzzle, and with those growls, he began seething his teeth. Under the sleeves of his hoodie, his arm muscles bulged quite a bit from the amount of strength he was exerting from his arms, with veins bulging on his arms because of it. He had to get out of here, for his aunt, for the clan leader, for the other surviving members of his family.

For Jenny….

And the very instant her name came into mind, the fox growls almost loudly and continues to apply more force into his pulling. The rod binding the two shackles together began to bend, and the shackles on the lower portions of his forearms began to crack. And before he knew it, a loud ' _ **clank**_ ' following a series of ' _ **clanking**_ ' noises were heard the instant the shackles shattered and the small pieces of metal hit one another. Heavy breathing was followed shortly after managing to break the damn shackles off of his forearms, much to the fox's relief. Now he can get the hell out of here like he wanted to. He stands up and reaches for his katana… only to discover they weren't on his belt like they normally were.

“The fuck? Where the hell's my katana and wakizashi?” Matt thought with a pair of legitimately shocked eyes. “I could've sworn they were-” and that's when he suddenly remembered what had happened. “Right… I got ambushed last night. They must've taken my weapons while I was out. But if that's the case, then I'm practically unarmed. Unless…” he continued thinking, suddenly reaching into the inner pockets of his hoodie before feeling something solid inside. He exhales in relief and pulls out the suspected object, which was the dagger that belonged to Jenny. A soft smirk began forming on his face as a response to seeing the weapon, unsheathing the forearm length blade halfway before sheathing the weapon back inside. “Jenny, I am so fucking glad you loaned this to me”, the fox continued thinking, placing the sheathed weapon back inside of his inner hoodie pocket. “Speaking of which, I need to check in with her and let her know I'm alright”, he added right as he grabs a hold of his phone and presses on the button just under his touchscreen. Unfortunately, his phone wouldn't turn on at all, which meant one thing. “Shit… phone's dead”, he scowled with an annoyed expression, placing his phone into his phone case securely and began looking around for a way to escape this holding cell.

He knew for a fact using the door was out of the question, since the damn thing was practically barricaded by what seems to be a thick metal door on the other side. So instead of using the door, the fox began walking around the twenty by fifteen foot room and examines the environment, moving a couple of objects around hoping to find a secret passage somewhere in the room. Unfortunately, luck wasn't at his side. With a heavy sigh, he places his hand-paws onto his obliques and looks up at the ceiling… and that's when his eyes widen slightly with surprise.

The fox had managed to spot a latch to the ventilation passage at the top of the back wall, which the latch appeared to be about two and a half feet long by three and a half feet wide. Noting that it was big enough for him to slide right through, a smirk began forming on his face at his success. Unfortunately, because the ceiling was roughly thirty feet high, he wouldn't be able to reach it without the use of some of the household items in the room. By far, what he can see was only the bed along with a long floor lamp and a two and a half foot tall by four foot wide dresser pressing against the wall where the vent was located. He looks at the bed, then back to the dresser, then back again. Then alas, an idea comes into mind.

He quickly rushes towards the bed and hastily removes the mattress off of the metallic bed frame, leaning it against the wall next to the barricaded door. Almost immediately after placing the mattress against the wall, the fox rushes towards the dresser and picks up the left side of it first. The fox moves the left side a few feet towards the front before moving to the opposite side and doing the same with that one. With the dresser moved away from the wall, the fox rushes towards the metallic bed frame and securely grips the middle portion of it, lifting the decently heavy frame with his muscular arms and moves it towards the back wall as quick and efficient as he could. Placing the frame onto the four legs as he did, the vulpine male leans the bed frame forward to where the front was sitting on the ground and the top part of the back frame was pressing against the wall. The fox uses this opportunity to push the dresser against the frame to keep it in place. And alas, the assassin manages to improvise a way to get to the vents and escape this prison.

The vulpine walks towards the dresser and climbs on top of it, immediately grabbing onto the bars of the bed frame once he got to the surface top of the dresser. Climbing along the bars as he did, albeit carefully, he makes it to the top and takes a seat on the bar. He was about to open the vents, but runs into another obstacle the instant he got up to the top: the four screws concealing the cents. Now what was he gonna do? The fox swore under his breath right before an idea pops into his mind, one that can solve the problem quickly if done right.

With the idea set in his mind, the fox grabs a hold of Jenny's dagger and pulls the blade out of its sheath. He takes a moment to examine the blade at the sharp end of it closely in preparation to using it as an improvised screwdriver. With an approving nod, the fox presses the pointy end of the dagger and began twisting it counter-clockwise on the top left screw, getting the small screw out within a few seconds before moving to the top right. The top right gets removed within the same allotted time, then the bottom right, and alas the bottom left. With all four screws removed, the cover concealing the entrance to the vent crashes onto the floor with a loud ' _ **CLANK**_ ', thus allowing the fox to quickly sheath the dagger, conceal it inside of his hoodie, and enter the ventilation shaft.

As the vulpine was making his escape from the prisoner's cell, a pair of polar bears were walking along the hallway towards one of the rooms in the mansion, coincidentally the same one Matt previously occupied. Both of them were burly in built and tall in height. The one on the left was dressed in a navy blue mafia-esque suit, a black sweater being seen underneath the suit's jacket. A golden chain was also worn around the neck along with a similarly colored ring, a red gem being embedded into the ring. The one on the right looked and dressed exactly like the other, with a few minor distinctions. For instance, his sweater was a crimson red color instead of black like his friend's, along with not bearing a single bit of jewelry on his body. His eyes were of a light green color, which shined brighter than his comrade's blue pair.

Both of them arrive to the metallic barricade barricading the door leading into Matt's prison, the blue eyed polar bear reaching for the digital door lock and punching in the code with his right index finger. With a press of the enter button, the sliding metal barricade starts rising upward at a slightly slow pace, loud humming coming from the metallic shield rising into the slot on the ceiling. With the barricade now concealed inside the opening on the ceiling, the other polar bear grabs a key to the wooden door and places it inside of the slot.

“Alright, fox!” the blue eyed polar bear exclaimed as an attempt to grab the fox's attention, unaware that he had managed to escape only moments ago. With the key twisting ninety degrees to the left, the polar bear unlocks the door and pulls the key out, twisting the doorknob in the same direction as he did with the key and gently pressing the door forward. “Mr. Big is ready to-” the bear began, only for his eyes to widen with shock upon seeing the fox no longer inside. He turns to the right and lets out a loud gasp, following a guttural snarl. “Shit! Where did he go?!” he growled furiously before looking up to the right of the room and noticing the now opened entrance to the ventilation shaft. This infuriated both of the mafia dressed polar bears before the light green colored one turns towards the blue eyed one.

“Kozlov! Go get the boss. I'll go scout the mansion for the fox!” the light green eyed polar bear exclaimed, the blue eyed one, identified as Kozlov, nods as a response to the given command.

“I understand”, Kozlov replied quickly and began rushing out of the room, but stops after taking a couple steps out of the room, he turns back to face his partner. “Be careful if you run into prisoner, Roman. We don't know what this fox is capable of”, the polar bear warned before the light green eyed one, identified as Roman, scoffs with a smirk on his face.

“You needn't worry, Kozlov. I can handle that vermin easily”, Roman replied, retaining his smirk before closing his eyes. “But thanks for your concern, comrade. Now start searching for that fox”, and with those words, the bear quickly departs from the room and rushes towards the direction they came from, with Kozlov turning to the opposite direction to get his boss.

With the two polar bears grabbing their boss and beginning to scout the mansion, the fox continues to crawl quietly along the ventilation shaft. He occasionally looks left and right whenever he got close to one of the sealed ventilation covers, using the linear holes to look through each room or hallway he happened to pass by. None of the rooms nor any of the hallways (obviously) were of no interest whatsoever. But after crawling for nearly twenty minutes, one room he crosses happens to catch his interest..

The room he manages to stumble upon was located directly below him, filled with darkness with the exception of the moonlight coming from outside. Although dark, he was able to decipher some of the features from within the room itself, thanks to bearing nocturnal vision. For instance, white snow was seen running along the walls and corners of the office and windows, along with several icicles hanging from the bottom of the shelves. The floor itself was made of stone, with two rugs, one about the same width and height as the surface of the wooden desk, and the other being large enough to take up almost half of the floor. His eyes manage to catch a couple linear, slightly curved objects leaning against the wall adjacent to the wall behind the wooden desk. And alas, the two items were his long samurai katana and short wakizashi.

With his weapons found, the fox moves forward a bit and stomps the ventilation cover using his right foot-paw, knocking it to the ground with a loud ' _ **PING**_ '. The fox places his legs through the open hole and drops onto the floor, landing on his feet-paws with a muffed ' _ **thud**_ ' before approaching his two weapons. He grabs the wakizashi first and unsheathes the weapon, examining it for a moment before sheathing the weapon and attaching it on the left side. He grabs the sheathed katana and pulls the weapon out of it, examining the blade like he did with the previous weapon before concealing the blade, placing the sword on the same side of the body at an angle about twenty degrees lower than his wakizashi. Now that he got his weapons back, the fox turns to his right and notices the exit, walking towards the wooden door in a calm fashion. But a couple of soft, barely audible ' _ **clapping**_ ' noises, along with the office lights and lamps turning on right after the second clap, stops the fox right on his tracks.

“Well, well, well. Now there's a face I didn't expect to see so soon. Nicky, what a pleasant surprise”, a soft, medium-high pitched male voice said from behind, the fox turning his head slightly to the left enough to where he can see who it was that spoke, but not enough for the other mammal to see his face.

Apparently, the one who called him 'Nicky' was none other than an elderly arctic shrew, whom had been sitting on a golden leather and wooden chair that can be easily carried by a polar bear's hand-paw. The calmly menacing shrew bore gray fur throughout much of his body, the exceptions being that his nose, feet-paws and hand-paws bore a pink color to them. His hair was a luxurious black color, much like the heavy black eyebrows covering blue eyes. His attire consisted of a black suit with a red boutonniere and black bow tie, white spats, along with an emerald ring wrapped around his right pinky. And behind him was none other than Kozlov, the one who had picked up his boss and brought him in here roughly several minutes prior to Matt's arrival, and Roman. And based on how the shrew was dressed, the fox was assuming he was the one calling the shots, the one both Roman and Kozlov called Mr. Big.

“Out of all the mammals who come to this part of Tundratown unannounced, it had to be you, Nicky. What were you thinking carrying two swords in your possession? Have you come back with the intention to murder me?” the shrew, presumably Mr. Big, began with an unusually calm, almost hurtful tone of voice. Why he was bearing such a tone, the fox didn't know. “I trusted you, Nicky, we broke bread together”, the shrew continued, turning his chair to his left slightly and gesturing his left arm in the same direction, the fox's gaze shifting towards the direction he was pointing at.

Much to Matt's surprise, what the male shrew was pointing at was a photo of whom seems to be the shrew's grandmother, which was placed between two red candles that were currently being lit by one of the three polar bears who just entered the room. The elderly female shrew bore a face much more aged than Mr. Big himself, with white and gray hair being brushed and tied back except for her parted bangs. A saddened look filled her expression, her eyes closed and her brows pointing upward. Her clothes consisted of what appears to be an elegantly knitted red sweater of sort along with a white dress shirt underneath. Three fresh roses were placed in front of the photo, the stems being attached on the left side of the ovular stainless steel frame.

“Grandmama made you a cannoli once, and how do you repay my generosity?” Mr. Big asked. “With a rug… made from the butt of a skunk, a skunk butt rug”, the instant he said that, Matt silently gagged even though he didn't show it. He did, however, turn his head away from the shrew slightly and shook his head a couple times with a disgusted tone.

“Oh Jesus Christ, Nick. Why the fuck did you have to do that…?” Matt thought within his mind before slightly turning his head to the left, his eyes gazing directly at the photo of Mr. Big's Grandmama for the second time.

“You disrespected me, Nicky. You disrespected my Grandmama, who I buried in that skunk butt rug yesterday morning”, Mr. Big spoke while gesturing his left hand-paw towards the picture briefly. Kozlov's eyes look up before closing, his right hand-paw moving to the top of his head, then to the bottom of his chest, to the left collar bone, and finally the right, before placing his hand-paws behind his back. “I told you to never show your face around here again, and here you are snooping around in… uh…” the shrew paused upon examining the fox's clothing, with the exception of the katana and wakizashi he had just gotten back.

The first thing the shrew noticed about the fox was that his torso was covered with a black hoodie along with a dark gray tight fitting shirt underneath the jacket. His eyes peer down towards a pair of midnight black pair of cargo pants covering his legs, with a white fox skull with angel wings sewn on the front part of his right thigh. They trail down towards his black open toe boots, which the leg openings of his pants were tucked into. His eyes trail back upwards towards his forearms, noticing a pair of black samurai bracers covering them and the back of his forearms, with black leather gloves covering his hand-paws to their entirety. They continue to trail upward and notices a black cloth muzzle mask covering his muzzle to its entirety, with faint traces of blood being seen on the left side of it.

“Uh… what are you trying to dress up as? A hoodlum in a wannabe gang, a modern samurai, or…?” Mr. Big asked with a mixture of annoyance, yet mostly of genuine curiosity. The fox merely remains silent, but his jade green eyes gaze directly at the male shrew with a stern, monotone expression and furrowed eyes. Genuine curiosity soon turns into pure annoyance when the silence grew thicker with each passing second. “Seriously, What's with the get up, Nicky?!” the shrew asked a second time, almost with a demanding tone of voice. Matt lowers his head slightly and closes his eyes, a couple soft chuckles escaping the fox's muzzle almost ominously. Oh, how the shrew was in for a surprise.

“You've mistaken my both my identity and my intentions, buddy”, Matt replied with a calmly sinister voice, now turning around to face the shrew all while he pulls off his hoodie and removes his cloth muzzle mask. And alas, the face of Matt Wilde was revealed to the shrew and his two guards. His long hair flows freely before the three, with much of it being tied back except for his long bangs and part of the sides of his hair. His cold, jade green eyes gaze directly at them with furrowed brows, and the diagonal slash shaped scar was in the open. The instant they laid eyes of the fox, Roman and Kozlov's began bearing shocked ones, where Mr. Big's on the other hand, remains the same. “And last I checked, I'm not responsible for my damn brother's actions”, he added coldly, narrowing his eyes only slightly and noticing the shrew's left brow cocking upward.

“Your brother?” Mr. Big asked with calm, genuine surprise, his brows furrowing and his eyes narrowing just the same. “I never knew Nicky even had any brothers. But then again, with all the lies he's given me, I doubt he would”.

“A skilled liar or he just happens to have a way with words”, Matt replied with the same tone of voice, the shrew cocking another brief brow at the vulpine before furrowing it again. “Though I have to admit I'm genuinely surprised about what he did to ya. But then again, I am also surprised to learn one of Zootopia's biggest crime bosses easily fell for one of my brother's scams”, the fox added prior to forming a soft smirk on his face. “I kinda find it amusing the more I think about it”, he finished. Mr. Big was about to speak, but Kozlov immediately takes a couple steps forward and snarls aggressively at the fox.

“Do not speak to Mr. Big in such manner, VERMIN!” Kozlov growled aggressively before attempting to march towards the fox, only for Roman to grab a hold of him securely and prevent him from trying to pick an unnecessary fight. His breathing was heavy at first, but after a couple moments, the bear closes his eyes and began breathing at a much slower pace. With the polar bear now calmed down, he moves back to his spot and places his hand-paws behind his back.

“It honestly doesn't matter how many siblings Nicky has, because once we're through with you, your body will serve as a warning for Nick to keep himself clear of Tundratown”, he added with a slight chuckle, the office door opening all of the sudden and watching seven polar bears march into his office. Matt turns his attention towards the group following a slight smirk forming onto his muzzle. “Any last words, Mr. Wilde?” the shrew asked, and right as he did, the fox slowly turns his head towards the crime boss with aggressive, narrow eyes.

“You're more than welcome to try, pal”, Matt began, grabbing the handle of his katana and pulling the sword out of its sheath. No sooner did he draw his sword did he lose the smirk that once occupied his face, which was immediately replaced with a frown. “But know that once your minions try, they're all going to die”, the fox warned, his attention turning towards the other polar bears who had entered the office merely moments. “As for those about to fight me, you have one chance to back down! Otherwise if you don't, you're all dead!” he growled at the bears, who appear to be unfazed by his own threats. Then again, how could they be if his threats were coming from someone literally less than half their size. But one thing was for certain: they were about to be in for one _**deadly**_ surprise.

“Oh, Mr. Wilde, you really think you can kill my fellow minions with that sword? How pitiful”, Mr. Big merely chuckled with a sinister grin forming on his face. But the smirk didn't stay for long, for within the next five seconds, he loses the smirk and frowns directly towards the fox. “ICE HIM!”

And with that order, the seven polar bears that entered immediately rush towards the vulpine with their claws raised. But when they drew close, the fox suddenly 'vanishes' from plain sight and stops the group dead on their tracks, surprising the hell out of both Mr. Big and Kozlov. Roman, on the other hand, although just as horrified at the sight, remained rather calm, or at least as calm as he could given the bloody circumstances.

“What the hell?! Where did that fox-” one of the polar bears tried to ask, but a long, sharp blade piercing right through the back of his skull and out his forehead silenced him for good. Blood starts gushing onto the floor from both the entrance and exits of the fatal wound, along with some of it dripping down the back of his skull and onto his face. Matt pulls the blade upward and jumps off of the polar bear's back, blood now splattering upward from the wound before the corpse collapses onto the floor.

With the bloody contents spraying out of the body's head and onto the floor, the other group members turn towards the fox with a horrified look on their face. Regardless of how horrified they were, they lose those expressions and quickly frown aggressively towards the fox. They all had one thought in common: that fox was gonna pay for what he did to their beloved comrade. The remaining six of the seven polar bears immediately began rushing directly at the fox, the fox's eyes narrowing slightly and smirking only the slightest. Now it was time to get back to business.

Matt quickly 'teleports' towards the left most polar bear and began slashing his body rapidly, literally hacking his opponent with several horizontal and diagonal slash attacks. As the severed body parts of the fallen minion drops to the ground, another polar bear attempts to claw the assassin, only for the fox to dodge the attack swiftly. The fox quickly severs his attacker in two by slicing his body in two, the blade piercing the left hip right though his right lung. With the blood of his next victim splattering on the floor and parts of the office walls, Matt's eyes fix themselves towards the remaining five and dashes towards them swiftly. He soon starts hacking the others one by one with a series of horizontal and diagonal sweeps, severed body limbs flying across the office like food being hurled in a school cafeteria during a food fight. And before anyone knew it, Matt kills the final polar bear by slicing him in half from the bottom of his crotch, up through the torso, and right through his skull.

With the blood of the final polar bear of the group spilling onto the floor, and on Matt as well, the group has officially been terminated. The eyes of Mr. Big, Roman and Kozlov stare directly at the bloodied stained fox with pure, terrifying horror. Never before had they seen someone kill anyone in a manner like this, not even of this caliber. Hell, Mr. Big himself was literally shaking with widened eyes, with soft, squeaky breaths filled with trepidation. Its honestly ironic. The most feared crime boss in all of Zootopia, whom Nicholas Wilde was frightened of, was now afraid, no, terrified of Nick's younger brother. Now that Matt was mentioned, the fox flicks his sword diagonally to his right, coincidentally getting a few droplets of blood onto the photo of Mr. Big's Grandmama.

“Who… who and what the hell are you?!” Mr. Big asked with a horrified tone of voice, pulling himself back against his own chair close to where he could potentially knock himself backwards. As he was trembling with fear, the fox had grabbed a rag from his pocket and uses it to clean the blood off of his sword with one swipe.

“For what I am, I think its rather obvious, buddy”, Matt replied monotonically, bearing a calm frown on his face before sheathing his katana back into its sheath. “As for who I am”, the fox continued, pausing only for a moment and turning his attention directly towards the trembling crime boss. “Lets just say I happen to be known as one of the deadliest assassins in all of Kawasabus”, and with his identity revealed to the crime boss and his two surviving minions, he turns around and began walking towards the office door.

“Hey, where do you think you're going?!” Kozlov shouted angrily despite the horrified tone he bore in his voice. Matt merely stops on his tracks and turns his head towards the trembling polar bear.

“Out of this place, that's what”, Matt answered with the same tone he bore only moments ago. He began walking towards the door again, only for Roman to quickly sprint towards the door and suddenly blocks the door from the vulpine.

“Do you think we're gonna let you go after what you did?! I don't think so!!” Kozlov growled swiftly and pulls his right hand-paw, his claws unsheathed and preparing to kill the assassin with his own hand-paws. Matt merely narrows his eyes at him and moves his left foot-paw back a step, his upper body leaning forward and his right hand-paw clutching onto the hilt of his katana, thus getting into battojutsu stance. The shrew cocks a slight brow upon seeing the stance, but despite his lack of knowledge of it, he knew something had to be done before the entire scenery got bloodier than it already was.

“Enough!!” Mr. Big suddenly shouted the exact moment his clenched fists smash against the armrests of his chair, Kozlov's attention quickly snapping towards the crime boss and Matt relieving himself from his battojutsu stance. “Kozlov! We all know none of us stand a chance against him. You'll be slain by his sword right before you try to attack”, the shrew claimed.

“But sir, I-”

“Listen to Mr. Big, Kozlov!” Roman interrupted. “The last thing we need is another one of our own killed by Battousai the Animal Slayer's blade”, the polar bear added, with Kozlov's angered expression now turning into a genuinely curious one. As for the fox, a light chuckle escapes his muzzle before turning his head towards Roman.

“Looks like someone's been doing their homework”, Matt replied with a hardly noticeable smirk on his muzzle, with the eyes of Roman narrowing directly towards the fox.

“Let's just say me and a few others have been keeping tabs on you for sometime now, Battousai”, Roman replied lowly, his eyes shifting back towards Kozlov. “Kozlov, you do not wanna fight this fox. He's already killed over three hundred fifty mammals in Kawasabus as it is”, as soon as he said this, his words immediately the attention of both Mr. Big and Kozlov simultaneously. How had he been keeping tabs on him? How did he know this mammal's alias in the first place, let alone the number of mammal's he's killed? Although many questions began forming in Mr. Big and Kozlov's minds, the crime boss knew this needed to be resolved before things got even bloodier than they already were. His attention shifts directly at the fox standing near the door, unaware that Roman began walking away from the scene.

“Mr. Wilde, what were your intentions?” Mr. Big asked with an attempt to keep his voice as calm as possible, and although he succeeded, there were hints of fright inside of his voice. The fox couldn't blame him for being so frightened, having already killed seven of his minions. With a soft shrug, the fox turns to face the shrew and remains where he is.

“I only intended on grabbing my weapons and nothing more”, Matt answered calmly, his hand-paws moving into his hoodie pockets as he spoke and closed his eyes. “If you hadn't ordered your mammals to ice me, none of this needless bloodshed would've happened”, the fox claimed before his eyes reopen with a fierce glare. “But let me tell you something, Mr. Big. Don't try sending any of your mammals after my brother. Because if you do, I will know, and I will **not** hesitate killing you with my sword… Capiche?” he warned almost threateningly, a shiver being sent down the crime boss' spine from the sincerity of his words, especially with those piercing jade green eyes. He was speechless for roughly twenty seconds, but the silence was soon broken with a soft exhale coming from the shrew's mouth.

“You needn't worry about that, Mr. Wilde. I have no intention on sending any of my minions after Nicky”, Mr. Big reassured before forming a sinister grin on his face. “But know this: if Nicky ever steps foot inside of my home again, or in this part of Tundratown for that matter, I will **not** hesitate killing Nicky, and there will be nothing you can do to stop me”, the shrew warned back at the vulpine, the two mammals retaining their glare for at least ten seconds before Matt closes his eyes.

“So let me get this straight. So long Nick stays away from your home and this part of town, he's safe. But if he happens to be snooping around your home or within the area, you and your minions kill him?” Matt asked monotonically.

“Precisely”, Mr. Big answered with a sinister grin on his muzzle, bearing his sharp teeth as he answered. A soft smirk forms and a light chuckle escapes the fox's muzzle shortly after the shrew replied.

“Fair enough”, Matt replied almost darkly before reopening his eyes narrowly, his menacing green eyes looking directly at the shrew. “Besides, as I mentioned earlier, I'm not responsible for my brother's actions. So if he comes back here on his own, that's his problem, not mine”, he added, watching the crime boss' facial gestures slowly turning from sinister to one full of unexpected shock. The shrew did not expect a cold reply from Nick's sibling. But regardless of the cold response, the fox turns towards the door and walks towards it, his right hand-paw grabbing a gentle hold of the knob. “I'll be on my way now. Sorry to waste your time”, and with that monotonic response, the fox twists the knob to the left and pushes the door forward, exiting the office and closing the door behind him.

“What the hell is he… what the hell just happened?” Kozlov asked with a genuinely shocked look on his face, bewildered about the conversation that had just occurred. He couldn't even register anything properly anymore since the slayings caused by Matt himself.

“I don't know… but don't mess with that fox”, Mr. Big warned. “The last thing I need is for all of my minions and family to end up in coffins”, the shrew added before turning towards Roman. “Which reminds me, Roman. I need you to go get Kevin and Ray for me. I need them to clean up this bloody mess”, the shrew continued, closing his eyes and moving his right hand-paw from the top of his forehead, to the bottom of his chest, to the upper part of his left collarbone, and alas, the upper portion of his right collarbone. “Kozlov, take me to my room. I need some time to grieve for our fallen members”, and with that order given, Kozlov gently grabs a hold of the small chair with his right hand-paw and carefully carries the shrew to his room, with Roman leaving the office and going to fetch Ray and Kevin as instructed.

Roman exits the mansion and enters the back yard parking lot, walking towards one of the polar bear sized black 2009 Sedan model cars and opening the driver's side door. He takes a seat and pulls down the driver's side sun visor, the keys to the car sliding out onto his right hand-paw and placing the car key into the ignition. Turning it forward as he did, a loud growl escapes the engine and turns every machinery inside the car on. The polar bear was about to push the lever to drive, but instead moves his hand-paw inside of his black slacks pocket, pulling out his phone and unlocking it with a single slide of his thumb. He looks over his contacts and presses the icon for the designated contact prior to hitting the dial button on the touch screen. The bear places his smartphone onto the right side of his face and listens to the dial tone, a soft smirk forming on his face right as the recipient on the other line picks up.

“The Battousai's just left Mr. Big's estate. Send someone after him and strike him down when the opportunity knocks”, after Roman said those words, an audible grunt was heard on the other line before hanging up, placing his phone into the same pocket he pulled it out from and drives out of the lot, the polar bear continuing about his business as if the call never happened.

* * *

 

_**Savanna Central/Downtown area, several hours later** _

The streets of Savanna Central District, Zootopia, were packed with business savvy mammals, many of whom were dressed common business suits. Traffic was heavy like usual throughout the morning along with downtown being clustered with mammals walking the streets and sidewalks. Whether they were heading to work, going out for a jog, or just going out for the hell of it, it was their business and theirs alone. Either way, regardless of what their business may be, it all came down to mammals just living out their lives as peacefully as possible.

But within a Japanese restaurant within the area, a lone fox sits silently in the back of the restaurant eating his meal silently. The fox, Matt Wilde, had been in the Savanna Central/Downtown area for roughly thirty minutes now, having arrived nearly half an hour ago through the Tundratown/Downtown line. Ever since he had fled Mr. Big's estate in Tundratown last night, the fox returned to his safe house and took a much needed shower, along with placing his bloodied clothes in the washer to remove all traces of blood from them. After placing them in the dryer when they finished washing, the fox had placed his phone on the charger and immediately lays down on the couch to get some much needed rest. After catching enough sleep, the fox changes into a clean pair of clothes and headed for Savanna Central.

The fox's attire now consisted of a black hoodie with a tight fitting athletic T-shirt of the same color, with his cloth muzzle mask being removed in order for him to eat. His hood covered his head to avoid any possibility of any potential Zootopia residents from recognizing him and compromising his identity. He continues to wear the same pair of leather gloves along with the samurai bracers he owns. His cargo pants were a dark green color, and as always, the leg openings were tucked into his black open toe combat boots.

Now that the fox was currently, silently finishing his meal (consisting of freshly cooked udon noodles, grilled chicken teriyaki, and freshly steamed vegetables), his ringtone began going off and causing the vulpine to place his chop sticks down and grab his phone from its phone case. His eyes fix themselves towards the caller ID and notice it was Thrandeer calling him. Which reminds him…

“Shit… I was so tired last night, I forgot to call him back”, Matt thought within his mind before pressing the answer button on the touch screen, placing his phone on the right side of the head near his ear. “Hey, chief. Sorry about last night. I had to deal with some unexpected business last night, and my phone died when I tried to call ya”, the fox said to the clan chief with a calm voice, which was loud enough for the clan leader to hear and not enough for anyone else to hear the fox.

“ _That honestly doesn't surprise me, Matt_ ”, Thrandeer replied over the phone. “ _I immediately figured that was the case when you didn't call me back. So who was responsible for the said business?_ ” he asked.

“Apparently, it was a couple of Mr. Big's goons that infiltrated the safe house thinking it was my brother, Nick”, Matt answered calmly. “I ended up waking up inside one of Mr. Big's rooms later that night without my weapons. Fortunately, however, I was able to get them back without receiving any injury”, the fox added.

“ _Ah, yes. I've heard about Mr. Big through the Ishin-Mirkwood clan's databases on Zootopia. He's one Zootopia's biggest crime bosses in Tundratown_ ”, Thrandeer recalled, having looked him up while searching for safe houses for Matt prior to sending him to Zootopia. “ _Did you kill anybody after you retrieved them?_ ” Thrandeer asked on the other line.

“Seven, unfortunately, not to mention the entire situation was completely avoidable if Mr. Big hadn't ordered his polar bears to ice me”, Matt explained prior to hearing a soft shrug escaping Thrandeer's mouth on the other side of the line.

“ _Perhaps…_ ” Thrandeer replied. “ _However, there are other, more important matters we need to discuss_ ”.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked with genuine curiosity. “Did something happen while I was here?”

“ _Yes…_ ” Thrandeer began, a soft sigh escaping his muzzle on the other side of the line. “ _I received word about Katagai's death not too long ago_ ”, as soon as the deer said that over the phone, Matt's eyes widen with unexpected shock. Yeah, he wasn't particularly fond of Katagai, but he knew he was one of the few Ishin-Mirkwood loyalists amongst the clan, and he admittedly knew he would die sometime soon. But he didn't expect him to actually die this soon.

“When the hell did this happen?” Matt asked before turning his head to the left and noticing a female waitress, particularly a female honey badger in her mid to late twenties, approaches the table and places his bill on the table before leaving.

“ _According to_ _our sources_ _, Katagai was killed sometime around the same morning when you left. He was keeping a watchful eye on one of the possible spies at the time of his death, whose name I won't disclose until I've gathered enough evidence_ ”, Thrandeer explained over the phone.

“It seems you can't really trust anybody nowadays”, Matt replied while taking a look at the bill, which his brunch ended up costing nearly fifteen bucks.

“ _Unfortunately, that seems to be the case…_ ” Thrandeer replied in agreement on the other end of the line. “ _However, roughly half an hour ago, we've received rumors about a possible group of Neo-Shogunate ninjas having been sent to kill you in Zootopia. Its possible they may be Orimakishu Ninjas, but we are still unsure of who they are as of right now. But nevertheless, be wary of their presence, Matt_ ”, the deer warned while Matt had grabs a twenty from his wallet and places it on the small, black tray containing the bill.

“I understand”, Matt replied calmly while placing the black tray back onto the table and waiting for the waitress to return. He places the black cloth muzzle mask back onto his face along with placing his wallet back into his back pocket as he waited.

“ _Alright. I would advise you to go back to the safe house as soon as possible. As soon as you return and have everything packed, stay there and hang tight until I call you_ ”, Thrandeer ordered on the other end of the line. “ _I will send a chopper for your before nightfall this evening_ ”.

“Understood”, and with Matt's response, the fox hangs up right as the honey badger returns to his table to grab the check along with the money attached to it. The badger was about to give him his change, but the fox raises his right hand-paw up in refusal. “Keep the change”, the fox said to the badger right before he walks across the restaurant to the exit at the front.

Right as he got to the front door, the fox discovers the skies darkening slightly along with mild rain beginning to pour down upon the district. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to make such precautionary measures beforehand. The fox places his right hand-paw inside his hoodie and grabs a medium-small sized umbrella from the jacket's inner left pocket, removing the cover from it and pressing the button on the handle. With the umbrella unlocked from its locking mechanism, the fox hovers the umbrella over his head and walks out of the restaurant, entering an alleyway with the intention to head back to his safe house.

But completely oblivious to the fox, a pair of crystal blue lupine eyes had been watching over him from a fifteen story building right across the street from the Japanese restaurant Matt had just ate at. The one watching him was a Eurasian wolf bearing mainly gray and white fur on his body, with some brown being seen on the top of his muzzle and parts of his face. The lupine was dressed in what appears to be a modern take on a ninja outfit, the top consisting a long sleeve tight fitting black shirt with a sleeveless dark gray kimono shirt worn on top of it. The brown colored cloth muzzle mask he wore covered his muzzle through its entirety, the material being light enough to breathe without any trouble. His cargo harem pants matched the same color as his sleeveless kimono shirt, the leg openings tucked in a pair of black open toe combat boots. A pair of brown samurai bracers cover his forearms entirely along with the back of his hand-paws. Lastly, a pair of chained katanas were attached behind his back, the two sheathed blades being a good twenty nine inches in length each.

As his eyes watch the fox enter a dark alleyway across the street, the wolf's eyes shift towards a building right next to the restaurant his ate at earlier. His eyes gaze around the area for any potential ways of transporting himself from the building rooftop he stood on. It took him a good ten seconds, but soon spotted the signal lights nearby and began dashing towards them, running across them as fast as he could hoping to not be spotted by anybody. The wolf reaches the other building and hides behind a large, rectangular ventilation unit for at least a minute before continuing to follow the fox swiftly.

The rain continues to gradually get heavier with each passing second, but that didn't stop Matt from continuing to walk towards the train station to get to Tundratown. Much like the fox, that also didn't stop the wolf from chasing after his intended target. Swiftly, but quietly, the wolf continues to follow the fox by remaining on the roof. He stops for a moment to look down at the figure holding the umbrella. His eyes notice a busy fox tail swaying left and right gently as he walked along the dark alley. That's when the wolf knew without a doubt he found his intended target. Now it was time to act!

Approaching a fire escape in front of him, which was in the alley perpendicular to the one Matt was walking through, the ninja quickly darts towards it and began climbing down quickly. He grabs the two Japanese swords by the hefts and unsheathes them swiftly, holding both chained weapons while unwrapping the chains binding them. The lupine's feet-paws touch the ground within a matter of seconds and hides behind one of the walls, his head turned to the right slightly as if he were looking directly in Matt's direction, his hand-paws clutching the hefts of the blades tightly.

As for the vulpine himself, the fox continues to walk along the designated pathway towards the train station. His left hand-paw gently grasps the top portion of his sheath and places his thumb on the guard of his katana, slightly pushing it upward and revealing a small portion of his weapon. The fox's eyes narrow as the jade green pupils move left and right slowly, examining the alley like a night guard on patrol in a prison. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was… just yet. All he could do for now was to continue walking along the dark alleyway with extreme caution.

The lupine continues to wait for the right moment to execute his plans, with each second passing nearly as long as a minute. It was almost frustrating, and he was starting to become increasingly impatient. But fortunately, thanks to his strong sense of hearing, the wait didn't last much longer. With the widening of his crystal blue eyes, the wolf suddenly throws one of the swords towards the fox and slashes the umbrella in half. Although he destroyed the umbrella, the blade failed to strike the fox at all, thanks to the fox's having dodged the attack beforehand by leaning his upper body to the right. Right after the attack, Matt draws his sword with his right hand-paw and grips onto the handle of his weapon tightly, all while the ninja pulls on the chain to bring his long sword back to him.

“Orimakishu Ninja?” Matt asked within his mind, examining the clothing for a moment before narrowing his eyes. “No, their colors are black and gray, not black and brown. He must be a Neo-Yaminobu Ninja”, the fox added, remaining where he was at without making another move, the vulpine's eyes looking directly at the chained katanas. “However, his weapons are almost exactly identical to the ninja I had killed over a month ago. Coincidence maybe, or is it something more significant?” he thought almost curiously, but now was not the time to pry on the matter any further. No, It was time to focus on the ninja right in front of him. His eyes quickly fix themselves towards the lupine standing a good several meters in front from him. From the moment he saw him, he knew a battle, an entirely familiar one, was bound to happen at any inevitable second….

* * *

 

_**Vulpine Vibes Pub, a couple blocks away, A minute ago** _

Loud chatter was heard thought the Vulpine Vibes Pub much like the scent of perfume, cigarette smoke, and alcohol filling the bar. A large number of mammals, the majority being vulpine, sit amongst many of the booths inside the main lounging area of the bar, while several others enjoy the pleasantries of playing pool or having the company of a few women here and there. While it may seem all of them were enjoying the relaxation of the bar, that actually wasn't the case for one of them.

Nick Wilde was sitting in the back of the bar by himself with a bottle of Ballantine's Scotch Whisky in front of him along with a glass cup bigger than a shot glass, but smaller than the average sized ones. The twenty five year old had been there for at least an hour now, drinking straight up whisky he had purchased with nothing but his troubles, thoughts, and sorrows. Dark eye circles can be seen under his eyes, and the sclera of his eyes were slightly red. He still wore the same green Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants from last night with the exception of his jacket, albeit wrinkled from how long it was worn. His fur was completely ruffled and sticking in various directions, almost identical to someone who literally got out of bed. All in all, he literally looked like hell.

Gripped tightly in his left hand-paw was the glass he was using to drink the alcoholic beverage with, which was filled close to the top of the glass itself. But what was gripped on the right was an entirely different story. The object he was holding in his right hand-paw was a photo featuring him and his younger brother, Matt Wilde. The photo had been taken on June 5th, 2001, a couple days before Matt would be taken to the Westmoreland Correctional Campsite. The photo depicted Nick, being seventeen at the time, and Matt, being nine at the time, sitting on a bench at Zootopia Central Park eating Paw-shaped popsicles (or 'Pawpsicles') during a walk in the park. It was the last photo he had taken with his little brother before he had unexpectedly went missing after their mother took him to the correctional campsite. He didn't know what exactly happened to his brother since he'd left, but he hadn't heard from him (or their mother for that matter), since they left. And knowing the fact it was one of the last days he saw him _alive_ for that matter, it genuinely desolated him. While the pawpsicle hustles and other scams helped keep his mind off of the depressing matter, _no_ scam or hustle could ever replace what he truly lost.

As the orange and cream colored fox continues to drown himself in his drunken grief, a fennec fox by the name of Finnick had arrived to the bar and began surveying the pub. His attire was practically the same from, T-shirt and all, yet bore enough wrinkles to show signs of wear. While he bore dark eye circles almost like Nick, his fur was a lot more groomed than his partner's. But now that nick was mentioned, the fennec manages to find him at the back of the room, quickly rushing through the other larger mammals to get to him, ranging from foxes double his height to other mammals nearly seven times his size. And when he got to him, his eyes widen upon seeing the drunken mess his friend was currently in.

“Jesus Christ, Nick! How much of that shit have you been drinking?” Finnick asked with a genuinely surprised, almost shocked look on his face right as the fox places the photo back into his pocket. Yeah, he may have suspected him to be drinking something at the bar, but not expecting him to drink straight up scotch whiskey. But instead of getting a straight answer from the fox, Nick merely lifts his cup down and chugs the entire alcoholic beverage, a shrug escaping his mouth and steps out of booth he occupied. The vulpine merely passes the fennec as if he were never there, not that he could notice him in the state he was in. At first, the fennec looks at the other fox curiously before throwing his arms upward. “What the hell's your problem, Nick?! Why the hell can't you tell me what's wrong instead of drinking like a drunkard on the streets?!” the fennec shouted, grabbing the attention of half the occupants inside of the bar. But regardless of his attempts to getting Nick's attention, the fox merely continues to walk towards the exit as if he never heard him. The front doors open and the fox exits the bar, leaving in silence with mildly pouring rain and a bottle of Ballantine's in hand.

* * *

 

_**At the Alleyway a couple blocks from the Vulpine Vibes Pub** _

It was the calm before the storm, a strong, fierce amount of tension fills the air as rain continues to pour heavily in the clouded skies of the late morning. The clouds in the sky have now thickened to the point where not even the sun can be seen in the skies above. Two pairs of eyes gaze towards one another, those of the lupine ninja and of Matt Wilde. Both male predators were silent, their grips tightening around the handles of their swords.

Battle between one another was now inevitable, and it always had been since they crossed paths with each other, the moment the wolf attempted to strike him with one of the chained katanas. The two predators stared at each other for what seems to be hours to them, not a single move made despite the amount of violent buildup of energy that was forming between the two. Then it explodes with a violent growl, the ninja assassin suddenly throwing the same sword he used to destroy the fox's umbrella towards the fox himself. But Matt was no idiot, however, quickly performing a left horizontal sweep as means to block the attack effortlessly, thus knocking the ninja's right katana away from him. The wolf quickly pulls the chain towards him and brings his own sword back to him, tightening his grip on both handles of his blades.

All of the sudden, the ninja starts sprinting towards the fox at a rather extreme pace, nearly matching the pace to that of a bullet fired from a gun. But that didn't intimidate the fox at all. No! That further ignited the swordsman's spirit within him. The fox's eyes narrow slightly towards the ravenous ninja before suddenly darting towards his opponent in an identical pace. Blades start clashing against one another, the loud ' _ **clinking**_ ' sounds repeating with blow after blow. Both warriors were bound to kill the other, yet the victor will be decided at the right moment based on their actions.

A loud growl escapes the ninja's muzzle as he continues trying to kill Matt, causing the fox to turn towards his right. He quickly blocks the right katana the wolf suddenly threw with ease, but that didn't stop the lupine from quickly wrapping the chain he bore around the fox's torso, the very same one attached to the ends of the ninja's swords. Fortunately, the fox was able to move his arms before he was suddenly bound in chains by the lupine. Despite the pair of widened eyes the fox now bore, he honestly wasn't surprised by the ninja's actions. Besides, how could you be if this happened to you before and lived to tell the tale? But right now was not the time to mentally answer that himself, especially after seeing the wolf jump the third floor fire escape with the other end of the chain in his possession.

“Oh, for Christ's sake. I don't have time for this deja vu bullshit!” Matt thought in his mind with an audible growl, his eyes narrowing towards the lupine before noticing him pulling on the other end of the chain. His left side starts dragging towards the direction in which the ninja was pulling, but there was no way in hell the fox was gonna let himself get dragged without a fight. He quickly retaliates by grabbing a hold of the chain and began pulling back against it, the muscles on his left arm flexing slightly due to his efforts pulling on the chain.

Unaware to both assassins, a male vulpine bearing a bottle of Ballantine's Scotch Whisky began approaching the alleyway and makes a left turn towards it. The mammal stumbles slightly in his steps, yet for the most part walked as if she didn't have any alcohol in his system. The heavy rain was pouring down hard enough to the point where his footsteps would be difficult to hear under the given circumstances. Either way, the drunken fox continues to walk along the path with little stumbling in his walking, passing pieces of broken glass along with bits of trash along the way.

Right around the corner, and coincidentally unaware to the male fox, the struggle between Matt and the ninja assassin continues to progress, both mammals trying to pull on the chain to see who yanks who towards one another. The wolf was indeed incredibly strong and bore such an identical skill to the Siberian tiger Matt fought back in October. Regardless of the circumstances, however, the fox bore a higher endurance level than the Neo-Yaminobu ninja. None of them were growing tired in the stalemate, but despite that, something needed to be done about this before any of the local authorities spotted them. Matt's eyes were starting to close, and his teeth were gritting against each other out of frustration. He was unsure of how much he could bear with it… but soon spots the lupine's right detachable katana, still attached to the chain. That was when a familiar idea suddenly forms into his mind, and the fox's swordsman spirit reignites, and if his cards were played right, he may get out of this alive. The fox's eyes quickly shift directly up towards the ninja and narrows them directly towards the lupine's eyes.

It was in that moment when the wolf grabs the chain with his other hand-paw while still holding the left katana, and suddenly jumps several feet up in the air from the roof. He quickly performs an aerial spiral and attempts to wrap the chain around his own body. However, the fox had him right where he wanted, and the time to act upon his own strategy came. Matt quickly grabs the chain with his right hand-paw (while still holding his sword nonetheless), and pulls the chain towards him. Quickly grabbing the other part of the chain with his left, he pulls the ninja's right sword towards him and grabs a hold of it with his left hand-paw, holding his enemy's sword with a reverse grip. Now it was time for the kill.

With a loud growl escaping the fox's muzzle, he raises his enemy's blade upwards and leaps forward, his body leaning towards the wolf to add a bit of momentum to his jump. The wolf realizes what the fox had planned all along, and tries to block his own blade with the left katana. The plan, however, fails horrifically when the sword slid off the sharp side of the other blade, and it would end up being the last moment the lupine would ever remember. Matt slices the ninja's body from the upper right shoulder down towards the right side of his opponent's crotch, blood splattering out of the victim's body and spraying the bloodied contents throughout parts of the alley. Unbeknownst to Matt, however, some of the blood manages to splatter onto the clothes of another mammal turning into the alley, a soft gasp escaping his mouth.

He lands onto the concrete ground several feet away from where the ninja's body now lay dead. The fox was nearly drained of energy, and he suddenly kneels down onto the ground, panting for air and holding himself up with his deceased enemy's right katana. His scar already having begun bleeding after the deadly killing, his blood dripping down from his left cheek and soaking the fabric of his muzzle mask. The smell of blood began to fill the air, but it wasn't the only thing Matt's nose had caught. The fox's nose manages to car the scent of another fox along with a strong smell of alcohol in the air, making his eyes widen only slightly in terms of curiosity.

“Huh….” Matt uttered softly from his muzzle, raising his head upward and looking straight as the source of the alcoholic/fox mixed scent. His eyes slowly trail up the other fox's auburn colored feet-paws (the same color as Matt's own), to his khaki pants, his green Hawaiian button up T-shirt, and alas the vulpine's jade green eyes. Matt's eyes widen with pure shock at the sight of the other fox, the same fox he hoped not to see face to face, the one he tried to avoid, and the one who was now covered in the Neo-Yaminobu ninja's blood.

Nick….


	16. A Conmammal's Lamentation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Tweaked the chapter a bit, and even a few things near the end

_ **A Conmammal's Lamentation** _

  


“Oh Shit….” that was the only thought coursing the mind of Matt Wilde, his shocked eyes staring directly towards the other fox standing in front of him.

Nicholas Wilde was standing there with his widened eyes fixed upon the other vulpine, parts of his fur and clothing having been recently drenched with the dead ninja's blood. This was something Matt already knew. But what he didn't see before was the bottle of Ballantine's Scotch Whisky he gripped on his left hand-paw, along with how the irises of his jade green eyes were slightly dilated. Yet right now he was too shocked to see his presence here, especially with everything that had gone down within the past couple of minutes.

The fox began to stand up from the same spot he knelt onto earlier, his eyes remaining fixed towards the other fox standing roughly ten feet away from him. His hand-paws began to shake slightly with shock and making the swords tremble a bit in correlation with his hand movements. For the second time in his life, since the day he had lost his mother, he legitimately didn't know what to do other than continue panting with unexpected shock.

“W-wow...” Nick began with an unusually calm, surprised tone in his voice, giving off obvious hints he had a few too many drinks. But that didn't matter to him. What mattered was the fact the assassin had been caught by the one mammal he did not expect to see, the one he was trying to avoid being seen by: his own brother. “You caused…. You caused the sky to rain blood…” the fox continued almost with a slur, Matt's eyes widening a bit with shock in his voice. “You...” the drunken fox finished almost with a growl. And with the way he said that last word, he could've sworn he heard him say it with malice in his voice. Whether he was hearing things or if his brother was actually building up a drunken malicious tone, he did not know. At that instance, he drops the chained sword he used to kill his enemy, yet retains his hold on the sword he actually owns.

“Oh shit… my own brother… he saw me… he saw my eyes… he knows I'm alive…” Matt began within his mind, panting rather rapidly now because of the amount of shock he bore on him. “What should… what should I do…?” as soon as he began debating on what to do, his eyes widen a tad bit and tilts his head down, shaking it left and right a few times. “There's no way in hell I'm killing my own brother…. Maybe if I'm lucky enough… he might be too drunk to recognize me?” the fox wondered in his head, legitimately wondering why that thought crossed his mind. But his train of thought soon ceases with a flicker of his ears, blinking once before tilting his head up and looking at the other fox in front of him.

“You're bleeding”, Nick said to the younger fox, his unoccupied right hand-paw now raised and began walking right towards Matt, albeit slowly because of the alcohol in his system. “Let me…. Let me… take you to… a doctor…” that was all he could say before his eyes close and unexpectedly began to collapse slowly right on the spot, dropping his bottle of Ballantine's Scotch Whisky. Matt's eyes widen a tad bit and rushes towards him no longer shocked about him drunkenly witnessing him literally severing the ninja in half. Catching him with his left arm, he was able to prevent his brother from falling onto the wet ground. Laying his sword down as he did, the fox gently turns the fox over to where his left forearm rests under Nick's back. Blood began dripping onto his brother's face, which to no surprise was thanks to the fox's now bleeding scar.

“He's had way too much alcohol to drink…” Matt said softly, his right hand-paw moving towards his head and wiping his own blood off of Nick's unconscious face.

He knew they couldn't stay in the outdoors for much longer, albeit they catch a cold or if the cops catch them there at the scene of the murder. And one thing was for certain: he had no intention on sticking around for much longer. He lifts his left leg up a bit and rests his older brother's head on his thigh, allowing him to grab his blade and quickly, yet carefully, place the sword back into its sheath. His attention shifts to the severed umbrella and reaches it with his right hand-paw, grabbing the pieces of the broken parasol and quickly placing them inside his left inner jacket pocket. The only thing left he had to do after placing the broken umbrella in his jacket was to dispose of it at his safe house, since that was the only remaining bit of evidence that was left of his involvement there. Carefully placing the unconscious fox behind his back, Matt grabs his unconscious brother's arms and wraps them around his shoulders securely before wrapping his own around Nick's legs.

“I can't leave him here at the scene of the bloody murder”, Matt thought in his mind before briefly looking at the windows above him, checking to ensure nobody had saw the bloody scene take place. He knew he was taking a risk being spotted by any local authorities or possibly, yet unknowingly, by Finnick. He sure as hell didn't want his brother to see him, not in the current state Matt was, but there was no way in hell he was gonna leave him here at the scene. “The least I can do for Nick is take him home. And thankfully, my former home isn't too far from here”, the fox recalled in his head, since they happen to be just about five to seven blocks from his former home (now Nick's current residence). “I just hope Ma's not home at this time, otherwise my identity will be compromised and I get into a great deal of shit”, the assassin finished his train of thought and made sure to keep that notion in mind.

Now was time to get the hell out of there before they get spotted by anybody! Quickly reassuring his unconscious brother's arms wrapped around the assassin's shoulders, Matt secures his arms around Nick's thighs and starts sprinting towards his brother's residence, the heavy rain washing away the dead ninja's blood away from the concrete and any other evidence that remained of Matt's presence.

The assassin carries his brother along every dark alley he can take to get to his former apartment, doing what he can to refrain from being seen by any of the other mammals in the area. To his luck, along with using his stealthy skills and proper timing, he was able to avoid being seen by the mammals within the area. The walk itself took a good half an hour to get from the place where the bloody scene transpired to the block where Matt's former residence (and Nick's current) was located. This was where Matt took extra caution when walking along the block. Although his hood covered most of his features along with a muzzle mask, he kept his head low to prevent any of the residents in the area from seeing his eyes. After another minute of walking, the fox turns to the left and walks up the eight step cement staircase, and at long last found himself standing before the entrance to the two story row house, the entrance being a redwood door bearing a rectangular window on the top left quadrant.

Matt's left hand-paw reaches for the door and grabs a hold of the bronze, ovular shaped doorknob and turns it to the right, only to discover it wouldn't budge. The door itself was locked, Damn! If only he knew where a spare key was around. Speaking of which, his eyes began to scout his surroundings and notices a 'Welcome' doormat on the ground. Then they turn to the left and notices a large, red-orange flower pot with several white roses sitting on the small, eighteen inch long by thirty inch wide garden next to the black metallic railing. Grabbing it with his left hand-paw, he raises the pot upward and exhales in relief. He had found a key to the house. But now he had to get the key out from under the flower pot without waking his drunken brother.

The assassin places the flower pot back onto the small garden and gently sets his drunken brother on the ground, leaning his unconscious body against the right side railing. Now he shifts his attention back towards the flower pot and grabs a hold of it gently, lifting it up with his left hand-paw and pulls the key out from under the pot with his right. Now that the key was removed, he places the flower pot back onto the small garden and inserts the key into the lock on the doorknob. Turning the key to the right ninety degrees to unlock it, he turns it to the left just the same and pulls the key out of the slot, moving the key to the top lock and unlocking it just like he did with the knob. With the door unlocked, Matt pulls the key out of the top lock and places the key inside of his right pants pocket, opening the door with the left before releasing the knob and turning his attention towards the unconscious fox. Kneeling down next to Nick, Matt grabs his brothers left arm and wraps it over his shoulders, with his own right arm wrapping around the twenty five year old's waist. With his older brother secured in his grip, the assassin stands up onto his feet-paws and enters the familiar two story row house. Alas, he returned to the home he once lived in over eight years ago, even if he would only be there for a short time. But he remembered the interior like it were yesterday.

The entire house looked exactly like it did since he had left home many years ago, albeit looked cleaner than when he was last here. His eyes gaze directly towards the walls of his home, the walls designs bearing a strong similarity to the scheme of Nick's Hawaiian shirt. To the left of the entrance, a staircase that starts going that direction turns ninety degrees to the right and leads directly up to the second floor. He knew those stairs lead to Nick's room, but right now, he wanted to take a moment to soak in on the familiarity of the environment. His eyes gaze to his right and looks at the ovular mirror attached to the wall, and the white telephone placed on top of the brown, wooden hall dresser. His eyes then gaze directly at the front and looks at the living room from where he stood, briefly taking in the details of the living room sofa, the fireplace, and the fancy rugs…

“Wait, fancy rugs?” Matt questioned in his head at first, but suddenly remembers and turns to his unconscious brother. “Ah, right. I keep forgetting my brother's a con artist”, the assassin thought before turning around briefly enough to quietly close the door behind him. But as he turns back to the living room, along with gazing around the house for a moment, he couldn't help but softly smirk at the cleanliness of the house. “I've gotta hand it to ya, Nick. It seems you're putting all that con money to good use. Who'd thought I'd see the apartment looking like this”, he thought right before turning towards the stairs and walking up the wooden steps quietly, the creaking sounds of wood occupying the quiet stairway as Matt took Nick upstairs to his room.

Upon reaching the second floor of the two story row house, Matt turns to the left and notices four white colored wooden doors. Two of them were on the wall on the right, one was located a good ten yards in front of him, and the fourth one was located on the left. He instantly remembered where his brother's room was located, the assassin slowly walking to the left door while keeping a secure hold on his brother. He stops in front of the door momentarily and moves his left hand-paw onto the doorknob, twisting the door to the left before pushing the door forward. Alas, Nick's room was finally revealed to Matt for the first time in over eight years since he left the house.

The interior was, for the most part, the same as it always was, the Hawaiian wallpaper on the walls, white ceiling, and bearing beige colored carpet. However, the only difference was the fact his room was a lot cleaner than it once was, not a single trace of trash being seen inside the bedroom. Black framed band posters were hanging on the walls in a neat and orderly fashion, with the glass shielding the posters being as clean as a mint condition item. He recalled Nick having a huge palette of musical interests, ranging from the smoothest of jazz, the relaxation of reggae music, the upbeat of pop music, the hardest of rock, and even the heaviest of extreme metal. His eyes move towards his bed and notices a couple of black duffel bags in front of the front bed frame, both of them partially open enough to see stacks of cash inside of them.

“Well it looks like Nick's doing rather well for himself”, Matt thought with a soft shrug at the sight of the money filled duffel bags. Regardless of the reminiscing the assassin was doing, he didn't have the time to do such things. Right now, he needed to drop Nick off and get the hell out of there. The fox walks to the bed with his unconscious brother in his arms and lays him on his back, gently resting Nick's head on the soft, firm cushioning of the pillow. Matt turns away from his brother and began walking out, but as he reaches the doorway leading to the hall, his ears suddenly flicker to the rustling sounds of movement coming from the bed. His head turns towards the left and notices Nick turning his body to the left, his eyes widening upon seeing his movement, but was relieved he wasn't facing his direction. He turns back to the hall and began walking out of the room, until…

“Matt…” hearing Nick mention his name in his current state of unconsciousness immediately stops the assassin dead on his tracks, his head slowly turning towards his brother with eyes full of surprise. “I'm sorry I… I wasn't able to find you…. I'm sorry I couldn't be the brother you wanted me to be…” the twenty five year old fox spoke in his unconscious state, his legs curling up into fetal position. “I'm sorry you had to put up with my crap… I… I'm sorry for everything”, the unconscious fox choked almost with a sob, his right hand-paw now moving to his eyes and covering them. His lips quivered and soon began to sob in his sleep, with hot, fresh tears slowly streaming down his face.

Matt was honestly surprised, no, shocked at the sight. Never before did he see him in the saddened state he was in, except when he saw Nick after the incident with the Junior Ranger Scouts, with Matt being over a year old at the time, assuming his memory served him right. From what he could recall and from what his mother and older brother, Terrance, told him, lets just say that day was not pleasant whatsoever. Seeing him like this now made his heart ping with worry. However, he knew there was no way of comforting his older brother, nor could he reassure the fact he was actually here in his room, or even alive for that matter. He needed to go, and he needed to get his belongings together before Thrandeer sends a chopper at where the leader planned to extract him. The assassin's eyes close and lets out a soft, barely audible sigh escape his muzzle.

“Nick, I'm sorry, but… there's nothing I can do to reassure I'm still alive”, Matt thought with a small, but genuine amount of pain. He really wanted to let him know he was alive, and standing right inside of his room, to pull him into a hug, to comfort him. However, he knew he couldn't do anything in his current line of work, and knowing this pained the assassin more than he had expected, even if his expressions didn't show it. But… there is one thing he can do. His eyes reopen and gaze directly at his brother. “But I will promise you this: one day, once the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate Government has been destroyed, we will reunite under better circumstances. And if you're willing to trust me, I will tell you everything when the time is right”, and with that train of thought finished, Matt turns away from his brother and quietly closes the door behind him, departing from his brother's room and allowing Nick to rest in peaceful silence.

* * *

 

_**Within the Alley two blocks from the Vulpine Vibes Club** _

Flashing red and blue lights can be seen within the area surrounding the Alley where the bloody scene had taken place over half an hour ago prior. The entrances leading into the scene of the crime were blocked off with not only yellow 'Do Not Cross' tape, but with several large sized, intimidating police officers guarding the blocked alleyway entries. Many mammals began gathering around the alleyway entrances out of curiosity, with some of the smaller ones from the rodent families trying to get though to the place. Whatever the hell happened, they were extremely curious if there were this many cops in the area. They all concluded whatever the hell happened, it must've been some serious shit.

Two cops currently occupy the scene of the crime itself, the severed body of the ninja Matt had killed earlier being covered with a pale gray sheet. One of the police officers was a strongly built bull with dark bluish-gray fur and brown eyes. His attire consisted of a dark blue police uniform with a black utility belt, his button up shirt being short sleeved. As for the other officer, he was a large tiger being a similar, but slightly slimmer, built compared to the bull. He bore orange and white fur with black stripes accompanying parts of his body, a pink nose, and a slight hint of an eyeshadow around them. But one thing both officers bear in common was the fact they were wearing dark blue raincoats, their heads being covered by the hoods of their jackets to keep the rain from falling on their fur.

The two mammals approach the corpse of the wolf and pulls the cover halfway off the corpse. And holy hell, were they not prepared for what they were about to see. The tiger's eyes widen with unexpected shock and cover's his mouth with his right hand-paw, taking a couple steps back repulsively.

“Jesus Christ, Bogo! What, no, how the fuck did this happen?!” the tiger asked with widened eyes, unsure of how to comprehend the bloody sight. Yeah, he may have come across murder victims in the past, but never before has he seen a victim who was literally sliced in half.

“I honestly don't know, Fangmeyer…” Bogo shrugged calmly despite the shock he felt upon seeing the severed body. “But whoever did this definitely knew what they were doing”.

“No doubt about that”, Fangmeyer replied with a nod prior to closing his eyes and taking a couple deep breaths as an attempt to calm down. He was still shocked at the scene, but at least he manages to calm down. “Could this have been the work of some crime organization, or the work of some hit mammal?”

“Neither”, a voice from behind the two officers immediately caught both Fangmeyer and Bogo's attention, the two mammals turning around to see the person who just spoke up.

Apparently, the answer had come from another tiger bearing a much identical appearance to Fangmeyer in terms of fur colors, yet there were some distinctions about the mammal's appearance. For instance, the other tiger happened to bear long, brushed back gray colored hair along with a similarly colored mustache and chin goatee on his muzzle. He was about the same height as Fangmeyer, yet the muscles on his body were more built and defined, with his facial area being aged enough to show he was somewhere in his early forties. His attire consisted of a white dress shirt tucked into a pair of black slacks, with a brown trench coat being worn over his torso. His feet-paws were covered in a pair of black leather open toe boots, much like the gray samurai bracers that cover his forearms and the back of his hand-paws.

Regardless of his appearance, both mammals were genuinely surprised to see the male come out of nowhere. Who was he, and where the hell had he come from?

“This mammal was killed by a highly skilled vulpine assassin”, the male tiger claimed with a stern look on his face, approaching the body of the lupine before kneeling down on the dead lupine's right side.

“Who are you?” Bogo asked with pure, genuine curiosity, not expecting a mammal of a detective's rank to come out of nowhere on the scene of the crime. The tiger moves his left hand-paw inside of the corresponding trench coat pocket before showing him his badge, with 'Detective' being engraved on the top of the badge and 'Kawasabus Police Department' on the bottom

“I am Detective Tatsumi of the Kawasabus Police Department”, Detective Tatsumi introduced to the two police officers on the scene. “I have been sent here by the Chief of the first precinct to investigate a series of killings within Zootopia. As of ten minutes ago, I have been informed about the murder by one of my informants within the city”, the detective explained, his eyes narrowing slightly and gazing directly at the wolf's body before him. “This is without a doubt connected to the murders that happened at the Savanna Heights Apartment complex last night”, that particular claim immediately caused Fangmeyer and Bogo to gasp with surprise.

“Murders?” Fangmeyer asked, unaware of the murders that occurred in the said apartment complex.

“Yes”, Detective Tatsumi began, hovering his right index finger just an inch over the deathly, but cleanly severed wound on the wolf's body. “You see these cuts here? No common hoodlum nor mammal in a criminal organization can strike another assassin down with a clean cut like this”, the detective explained right before the tiger shifts his attention directly towards the two cops. “And based on the ingenuity of this wound, there's no doubt this is the work of Battousai the Animal Slayer”, that last part definitely caused the two cops to cock a brow at the detective.

“Battousai the Animal Slayer…?” Bogo asked calmly, but couldn't help with the fact he was curious on who the Battousai was, or what he is for that matter.

“It's not ringing any bells, sir”, Fangmeyer said shortly after Bogo mentioned the question about the said assassin. With a soft, understandable shrug, the tiger stands back up onto his feet-paws and keeps his eyes focused towards the two cops.

“That is not surprising to say the least. After all, many of us try to refrain from disclosing this information anywhere outside Kawasabus unless it is necessary”, Detective Tatsumi replied while placing his hand-paws inside of his trench coat pocket. “Battousai the Animal Slayer is said to be the deadliest assassin in all of Kawasabus, one who bears complete mastery to the art of Battojutsu and is even rumored his speed matches the gods”, he explained, the two officers turning their head towards one another before turning back to face the detective. “It is also rumored the assassin's sword is guided by the name of Hiten Mitsurugi, but we are uncertain whether or not it is confirmed”, the tiger further explained, many questions brewing in the minds of both Fangmeyer and Bogo. However, Bogo's eyes had widened slightly the second 'Hiten Mitsurugi' had been mentioned, but nobody knew as of why.

“Hiten… what?” Fangmeyer asked with a genuinely surprised tone of voice, a shrug escaping the detective's and closes his own eyes. He was prepared to explain the matter further, but a sudden ' **ding** ' goes off on his phone and stops his train of thought. The detective grabs his ICarrot smartphone and discovers a text message from a colleague of his. He opens the message and reads it for a moment before putting his smartphone away, turning away from the two officers with his hand-paws in his trench coat pockets.

“I wish to explain the matter further, but it seems I am required elsewhere”, Detective Tatsumi began, slowly turning his head towards the right, his eyes gazing at the two officers behind him. “However, heed my warning and steer clear of the Battousai and refrain from trying to fight him”, the detective warned. “He may be a fox, but that vulpine is a lot stronger than he looks. He will kill you without an ounce of hesitation if you try to engage in battle against the assassin”, the tiger further warned before turning his head towards the front, walking directly towards the direction where he had came from.

“Detective Tatsumi”, Bogo suddenly said, stopping the detective on his tracks and making him turn his head towards the bull with a stern, curious look on his face. “How do you know so much about the assassin? What is his real name?” he asked, the tiger merely closing his eyes and letting a soft shrug leave his muzzle.

“If I knew his real name, I would've tracked him down already and the entire Police Department would serve justice for the hundreds he's killed”, Detective Tatsumi answered. “I must be on my way now. I wish you all the best of luck, officers”, and with those departing words, the tiger walks away from the scene of the crime and back to his vehicle, seeking business within the other districts in Zootopia. Now it was time to track the assassin down and serve justice the same manner the Battousai had killed his roughly four hundred victims: Death.

* * *

 

_**Tundratown Safe House, two hours later** _

Nothing but silence fills the interior of the wooden cabin the fox was currently occupying, with the exception of the cracking noises coming from the fire inside the fire place. Matt was currently sitting on the living room sofa checking his phone for any messages he had received sometime after he got back. He had changed much of his attire as well, his clothes now consisting of a slim fitting black V-neck T-shirt, sanded blue slim bootcut fitting jeans (the leg openings of his pants (the leg openings covering some of his black open toe boots), and his black samurai bracers with black leather gloves covering his hand-paws covering them to their entirety.

Matt had returned from his brother's residence in Savanna Central District roughly an hour and a half ago. And the first thing he did was immediately get out of his bloodied clothes and into a pair of clean ones, the ones he was now wearing. But after he had changed his clothes, the fox placed the bloodied clothes into the washer and began packing his things. That didn't really take much time for him to do, honestly, since he hadn't brought much his things aside from clothes and his toiletries. And pretty much for the most part, the fox was practically ready to go whenever the chopper was dispatched to extract him from the designated extraction point. But he wasn't sure where he would be extracted from just yet, not until the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader sends the coordinates via text message.

Now that Thrandeer was mentioned, the fox's phone unexpectedly starts going off and interrupts his online browsing session. He was about to groan right until he saw 'Thrandeer Katzuma' on the top of the touch screen phone. Talk about proper timing, albeit unexpected no less. Hitting the 'answer' button on the touch screen, the fox places his phone on the right side of his head.

“Lay it on me, Thrandeer. What's the news?” Matt asked monotonically.

“ _Nothing at the moment, although I am making preparations to send a chopper towards you as we speak._ _It should arrive roughly within the next four to seven hours_ ”, Thrandeer answered over the phone. “ _Have you packed all of your belongings?_ ”

“For the most part, yes”, Matt responded. “I have a pair of clothes currently in the dryer right now. Those will be packed once they've been dried”.

“ _Good_ ”, Thrandeer replied on the other end of the line. “ _And what of the ninjas. Have you encountered any of them during your trip back?_ ” the buck asked.

“I have, now that you mentioned it”, Matt answered honestly, his eyes narrowing only the slightest. “And the one I encountered was much different from the other one I've slain back in October”, the fox explained. “This one bore black and brown colors unlike the black and gray colors the other one. However, their fighting techniques were strongly identical to one another”.

“ _I see…_ ” Thrandeer began following a slight pause. “ _And have you encountered anymore of them?_ ” the deer asked on the other end of the line.

“No, just the one”, Matt answered. “However, Whoever that ninja was, I don't think he's affiliated with the Orimakishu clan at all. I believe he was affiliated with the Neo-Yaminobu ninja clan”, the fox explained. “But what I don't understand is why both ninjas had identical fighting styles and weapons”.

“ _I believe I may have an idea_ ”, Thrandeer claimed. “ _Its possible both ninjas may have trained under the same fighting techniques and weapons. Or, it may be possible one of the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas might've_ _disguised themselves_ _in the Orimakishu clan's colors in order to use them as scapegoats_ ”, the buck concluded, yet only hypothetically no less.

“And if that's the case, then it seems the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas had been the clan involved all along and not the Orimakishu clan”, Matt theorized. “Either way, something doesn't seem right about all of this. Why would the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas go to such extremes and place much of the blame on one of their fellow clans?”

“ _I can't say for certain. But either way, do not worry about it too much, I will look into the matter further. You go on ahead and_ _continue_ _getting your belongings together_ ”, Thrandeer replied. “ _I will send you the location of the extraction point via text message shortly._ _Keep your eyes pealed for it_ ”, and with that, the deer hangs up on the other line and the fox places his phone back into his case. The dryer suddenly goes off with a loud ' **BUZZ** ' sound to signal the end of its cycle, with Matt standing up and walking towards the dryer near the kitchen.

Right as he got to the dryer near the kitchen, his phone suddenly goes off and causes the fox to pull his phone out of the case. And with his thumb sliding horizontally across his phone did he notice the message by Thrandeer himself. He opens the message and reads the coordinates to the extraction location, and he knew exactly where it was located.

“So it looks like I'll be headed to the Meadowlands up north”, Matt thought to himself with a calm sigh. “However, the chopper isn't gonna get here for the next four to seven hours. I should use this time to continue investigating Savanna Central a little further. Something tells me there's more to the Neo-Yaminobu then what we already know”, the fox continued with his train of thought while opening the doors and grabbing his clothes. With the exception of his hoodie and the muzzle mask, the fox folds up the freshly dried clothing and continues to gather the remainder of his belongings. Whatever the Neo-Yaminobu have planned, the fox didn't know. But whatever it was, it had to be dealt with as soon as possible, or else the city of his origins would soon fall under Neo-Shogunate control….

* * *

 

_**Tomoe's Residence, New Otsu, Ohio** _

The chirping of the birds were heard in the quiet town of New Otsu, Ohio, with the mammals living within the rural community going about with their lives peacefully. The rain had passed and the weather was just as peaceful, the mid to late morning sun shining over the town and providing the mammals with its enough warmth to help them bear with the increasingly cold weather. And with pleasantly cool weather with the warm, morning sun, it became much more bearable to work in the outdoors.

Speaking of the outdoors, Tomoe and Jenny were currently at the garden checking on the plants to make sure they were still growing properly. She notices some of them having died because of having too much rain, much to Tomoe's disliking. Fortunately, most of the plants were still salvageable even if they were only to be used for ingredients or spices. That was the good news.

Tomoe's attire was much different from what she normally wore when at home. Her torso was covered with a white, slim fitting V-neck T-shirt, which was tight enough to show the perkiness of her C-cup breasts. The dark sanded blue jeans were also of a similar fit, minus a slight boot cut near the leg openings, the curves of her hips showing of quite beautifully from the tightness of the top part of her pants. Jenny's clothes were much similar to what Tomoe wore, with a couple distinctions. While the rabbit wore a similar pair of jeans, minus a couple holes on the knees, her slim fitting shirt was a dark gray color, which the garment was worn under a red and black flannel shirt.

Both of them continue to check on the other plants to make sure none of them had died during the excessive amount of rain that poured in the recent days, completely oblivious to the fact a black 2009 Chevy Camaro pulls up onto the driveway, with an orange stripe being painted on the hood of the car. And stepping out of the car was none other than Enishi, a fox bearing the same fur colors as Tomoe and Matt Wilde. His dark blue tank top fit enough to show some of the muscle definition on his torso much similarly to how his similarly colored samurai bracers fit his forearms. A pair of orange, Chinese style pants cover his legs in a slim, baggy manner, with blue stripes running down the sides of them. His dark blue open toe boots were partially covered by the baggy leg openings. The last garment he wore was on his face, the garment being a pair of small, circular sunglasses that were worn as if to give the fox his trademarked look.

With the blue eyed vulpine out of his car, the fox cups his hand-paws and moves them to the front of his muzzle, shaping it like a modified horn of sort.

“Tomoe!” Enishi called out loudly, snapping the vixen and female rabbit out of their working trances and quickly turns to face the fox who spoke. Jenny cocks a curious brow towards the fox, but Tomoe's eyes widen slightly with shock. And she immediately recognized the fox who called her name.

“Enishi?” Tomoe asked with a surprised tone of voice while slowly standing up onto her feet-paws, her hand-paws wiping the dirt off of her jeans.

“It took me a good while, sis! But I've found you at last!” Enishi yelled with quite the grin on his face and began walking towards her. Tomoe was completely dumbstruck on how he was able to find her, nor has she heard from him for some time, even through the phone or any social media websites. Either way, it still was an interesting surprise.

Several minutes have come and pass rather quickly, and now the three mammals were currently sitting inside of the living room enjoying the pleasantries of green tea. Tomoe and Enishi were sitting next to one another on one couch while Jenny was sitting by herself of the futon couch/bed.

“This is my younger brother and Matt's uncle, Enishi”, Tomoe introduced the other fox to the rabbit sitting at the futon adjacent from the couch the two foxes sat at.

“Your brother… and Matt's uncle?” Jenny asked, not having expected the male fox to be Tomoe's brother, the particular reason behind that is because of Tomoe having green eyes and Enishi having blue colored ones.

“That's right. I've sent him some letters from Kawasabus when I last visited Matt several months ago”, Tomoe replied before turning towards her brother, who bore a neutral expression on his face. “And he somehow traced them here”, she continued, unaware the male fox had given a soft, barely audible grunt along with his eyes narrowing the slightest. Jenny, on the other hand, had noticed this slightly and calmly stands up.

“Alright, I'll leave you two to catch up”, Jenny began right as she starts walking to the back shoji door. “I'll go check on the rest of the crops and see if they're salvageable”, with that response, the rabbit walks towards the door and opens it, partially closing it behind her and leaving it cracked once she had got out of the living room. Both of the siblings watched her leave the room quietly before the vixen clears her throat gently.

“I have to admit you took us by surprise, Enishi”, Tomoe admitted while turning her head towards her brother. “How's father doing?” she asked curiously right as her brother crosses his arms.

“He's doing alright, last I checked”, Enishi replied with a calm tone of voice. But despite receiving an answer from him, the vixen still remained curious regarding his presence here.

“How long have you been gone from Kawasabus?” Tomoe asked.

“Several months. I left Kawasabus because my services were required elsewhere”, Enishi answered, closing his eyes following a shrug. “I left a few months after you moved out of Kawasabus to work at Bellwether Enterprises”, the fox explained further, his eyes reopening and turning his head towards his sister.

“Enishi, I still don't understand why you're here. But more importantly, how were you able to find me? I never had the chance to give you my address after I left Kawasabus”, Tomoe asked with a curious tone and brow.

“Easily!” Enishi began with a grin forming on his muzzle. “Neo-Shoguns take care of their operatives”, the male fox continued following a soft, shocked gasp escaping his muzzle. “You will soon be happy, sis!” the male merely claimed with several devious chuckles escaping his mouth. “Its all set! Matt Wilde will die! The Neo-Shogunate will bring justice upon that assassin's head! That's what you want, isn't it? To see that fox pay for the lives he tore apart!” the fox merely continued with a grin on his face, with Tomoe's eyes open wide and her hand-paws trembling at his words. “We appreciate the part you and that bunny played in this, keeping him dis-” and that was all he could say before getting slapped hard on the right side of his cheek, a loud ' _ **SMACK**_ ' echoing briefly across the entire room.

Hell, that smack literally packed enough punch to knock Enishi right off the couch, and that was something he did NOT expect his sister to do. His left hand-paw covers the slowly swelling mark on his face and quickly turns towards Tomoe. And holy shit was he shocked to see the furious look on Tomoe's face, her eyes glaring narrowly at him with anger and her muzzle snarling back with pointy fangs being displayed.

“What the hell's the matter with you, Enishi?! Matt's your nephew for fuck's sake!” Tomoe growled angrily at her brother for even plotting Matt's assassination with the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate Government. Who the fuck does he think he is, and how could he suggest such a thing?! Regardless of the vixen's angered state, the male fox growls lowly and stands up onto his feet-paws.

“I don't care if he's family or not! That god damn fox is NO nephew of mine!” Enishi shot back just as angrily, unaware that a pair of bunny ears had perked up from the gardens on the left side of the house. “That fox is a ruthless assassin who will anyone without any ounce of REMORSE, and you know it! He's nothing more than an unrepentant killer who's hunger for blood continues to-”

“Matt is no way in hell a ruthless, unrepentant killer!” Tomoe argued. “There's no way in hell I condone what he's done in the past, and I'm sure as hell not happy with the fact he's been working as an assassin. But over the past month, he's been trying to repent for his actions by trying to focus on school and making a source of income, to help other mammals as much as he can!” the vixen continued with her argument. “And you think you have the god damn audacity to come here and claim he's nothing more than an assassin, to claim we've played a part in their plans to murder him? That's unbelievable! Un-FUCKING-believable!!” she shouted from the top of her lungs. And before Enishi could respond to her aggressive retorts, Jenny suddenly opens the door and rushes into the living.

“Hey, hey, HEY! What's going on?!” Jenny yelled and manages to get between the two foxes, her arms placed between the two and her head shaking left and right almost frantically. Enishi's eyes shut out of annoyance before reopening them quickly and gazing directly towards her direction.

“You best stay out of this if you know what's best for you, _bunny_!” Enishi growled with his fists clenching, his eyes widening and a few veins starting to bulge noticeably on his arms. Jenny's eyes fix themselves towards the male fox and immediately froze out of fear, instinctual fear to be precise. She was literally frozen under his gaze, and she was becoming more terrified with each passing second under his watchful eye.

“Don't you dare talk to her like that, Enishi!” Tomoe snarled furiously while marching up towards his face. “She doesn't deserve to receive that kind of treatment from you! She hasn't even done anything wrong”.

“Keep your damn mouth shut, Tomoe!” Enishi growled, his attention now shifting back towards his own sister. “That rabbit has no god damn business on the matter! Matt Wilde is nothing more than a ruthless, cold hearted assassin, and he will die for his actions, even if its by my own blade!”

“Like hell you will!” Jenny shouted, much to the surprise of Tomoe. Like the vixen, the rabbit was not gonna tolerate Enishi's actions any longer. “He may be an assassin, and I don't condone for what he's been doing, but he's not a ruthless killer!” the rabbit argued with her eyes furrowed with rage. “I know for a fact deep down, Matt has a heart of gold! I also know without a doubt, he's been wanting to get out of the assassination business and live a more-”

“Peaceful life? Ha! Don't make me laugh!” Enishi scoffed with a mocking grin on his face, his arms spread open momentarily before placing his hand-paws inside his pants pockets. “In my eyes, all I can say about him is he's nothing more than an arrogant, worthless dumb fox-”

“That 'dumb fox' is my BOYFRIEND!” Jenny scowled defensively in an aggressive manner. Enishi's eyes suddenly widen and his hand-paws move out of his pants pockets, only for his arms to hang on the sides of his body. “He's NOT worthless nor ARROGANT! Matt coming into my life is the best thing that's happened to me ever since I lost my parents over three years ago. He's willing to fight and protect those he cherishes even if he has to end the lives of his enemies. He's willing to sacrifice his own life just to ensure those he loves continue to live. Yeah, I'll admit we may have had a bad disagreement in the past, but he still saved me from three predators regardless of that, and that's a debt I can never repay”, the rabbit continued, tears threatening to stream down her face at any given moment. “I love him with all my heart, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep him alive, and to stop him from becoming an unrepentant killer, no matter the cost!” she finished.

Enishi was staring directly at the rabbit with a pair of shocked, completely widened eyes. He was completely shocked at what he had just heard. He couldn't believe the words that came out of the bunny's mouth. Matt being the rabbit's boyfriend? An interspecies relationship, let alone one between predator and prey? How can… how is it possible?!

“You're joking, right…?” Enishi asked with disbelief. “C'mon! I mean a fox and a rabbit?”

“No, I'm dead serious, Enishi”, Jenny answered with a stern glare. “Matt admitted it himself a couple days ago that he loved me, and that was the moment I can no longer deny my feelings for him. I don't care how deadly an assassin he's become! I love Matt Wilde with all my heart, no matter what!” she yelled, her eyes glaring directly towards Enishi with pure, fiery anger. The male couldn't believe this, literally could not believe the words that came out of her mouth, could not believe how she confirmed them. His eyes dart between Tomoe and Jenny back and forth almost quickly, only to settle them towards Jenny within a matter of seconds.

“You've gotta be fucking joking! It's already bad enough to know he's Battousai the Animal Slayer, but to find he's banging a bunny, its unbelievable!” Enishi growled before turning his attention directly at his sister. “His parents taught him better than to mate with someone outside of his kind! WE taught him better than that!”

“Don't you dare talk about Jenny like that! And keep Matt's parents out of it, Enishi!” Tomoe shouted. “You know damn well both of them are dead! How could you even suggest such a thing. We're not his-”

“THAT DOESN'T MATTER!” Enishi screamed with pure, undiluted fury. “Both we and his parents taught him better than to date someone outside of their own kind. And to know the fact he's become an assassin and screwing this bunny in his free time? He's a FUCKING disgrace to the Wilde family name!” and with those harsh words, gasps escape from both Jenny and Tomoe. Neither of them could believe what they've just heard nor process it in their minds. Jenny was about to speak up until she heard a low growl escaping Tomoe's muzzle

“You're telling me Matt's a disgrace because he's dating Jenny?” Tomoe asked with a growl along with furrowed brows. “Let me ask you something, Enishi. Am I a disgrace to the family name as well?” the vixen asked again with a pair of narrow eyes, eyes filled with burning fury and gazing directly at a now shocked fox in front of her.

“Tomoe, I wasn't-”

“Bullshit!” Tomoe growled with pure venom in her voice. “How Matt dating Jenny any different from when I dated John Bellwether between April and early September?!” she continued to shout, tears threatening to stream down the vixen's face at any given moment. But what she said regarding John Bellwether definitely caught Jenny by surprise, even if she didn't show it. Now was not the time to show it anyways.

“Sister, listen to me! That's-”

“Different?” Jenny suddenly spoke up lowly, but with just as much venom in her voice. “It shouldn't matter on who dates who. Love it love no matter what, regardless of what species you are, whether you're predator or prey. If you don't like it, then that's your choice. But to tell your own sister that Matt's a disgrace, and implying that she's a disgrace, its unbelievable to hear it out of your own mouth. You're her younger brother, and Matt's uncle!” the bunny continued to speak towards the male vulpine with malice, the fox becoming angrier with each passing second the rabbit continued to talk. “And if anyone should be a disgrace to the family name it's YOU!” she shouted before pointing her right index finger directly at Enishi, low growls now leaving his muzzle and his brows furrowing angrily. “You have no respect for the feelings of anyone's relatives other than your own. You have no respect for the decisions Tomoe and Matt make. And to know those alone, THAT, is the true dis-” she tried to finished right until Enishi suddenly strikes her on the left side of her face with a pair of claws. The force was enough to knock the bunny back painfully against the wall with a loud ' _ **thud**_ ', the rabbit falling onto the floor with her hand-paws covering the now bleeding claw marks on her cheek. Enishi was now completely furious, and he began marching directly towards her direction with a deathly snarl.

“Who the hell do you think you are?! Who are you to tell me I'm a disgrace to the-” Enishi began right until a hand-paw suddenly grabs his shirt collar and pulls him backwards. Oh, how he did not expect his own sister to punch him on the right side of his face with her left fist, nor did he expect the force of the painful punch to knock him a couple yards away from the two. He manages to recover after a few moments and spits a decent portion of his blood, along with one of his back right molars onto the floor. He was about to say something at his sister, but the instant he saw the way her fur stood up in numerous directions, the way her claws were unsheathed, how her muzzle was snarled back, and how she was ready to fight, he could not form the right words to speak. Hell, he was genuinely too frightened to move, let alone speak for that matter.

“Get the hell out of my house, and don't you EVER come back!” Tomoe growled lowly, but filled with fury in her voice. She was not gonna tolerate her brother's behavior, and she wasn't gonna tolerate his presence any longer, not after what he did to Jenny. Enishi's eyes were wide at her words, and his hand-paws were already starting to shake from the amount of rage her sister was giving off. He knew for a fact he pissed his sister off way past her boiling point. But that didn't mean he was gonna leave right off the bat, he still had words he needed to say. His brows quickly furrow and lets out an almost monstrous growl from his voice.

“You are insane!” Enishi shouted while throwing his arms up. “Why do you insist on protecting that bunny?! Why do you insist on protecting a monster like Matt?! Have you forgotten John Bellwether?! His blood cries for revenge after what he did to him!”

“I'm well aware of what Matt did to John! Have you forgotten why I broke up with John back in September?!” Tomoe screamed with fury, catching her brother off guard with the last question. That even caught the rabbit's attention when John was mentioned again. What could've happened between the two? “Have you?!” she asked again demandingly, but in all honestly, Enishi was at a loss for words. Had he forgotten about that John did, whatever it was, or was he too shocked to answer? But instead of giving the vixen an answer, the male fox closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths in order to calm down. After half a minute passes, he reopens his eyes and looks directly at both the rabbit and his sister.

“I will not pry on the matter any further. What John did in the past is not _her_ business”, Enishi growled, albeit calmly, referring to the rabbit behind his sister. “But mark my words. Matt's fate has been sealed”, he warned with a low growl, turning his head to his left and noticing a small portrait of Matt's eleventh grade year photo. “You can only help him succeed”, and with those last words, the fox quickly turns around and rushes out of the house, slamming the door behind him before leaving as he left to his car. Tomoe closes her eyes and starts taking a few deep breaths in order to calm herself down, not paying attention to the sound of Enishi's car pulling out of the driveway and out of her residence. Fortunately, she manages to calm down enough to where she turns her attention to the rabbit, who was still holding her wound with both of her hand-paws.

“I'm sorry you had to see that, Jenny”, Tomoe apologized softly before walking towards her direction. The rabbit eyes widen from seeing the predator approaching her, but with the vixen kneeling in front of her and placing a gentle, reassuring hand-paw on her left shoulder, her eyes slightly narrow with relief. “Let me see your wound”, the vixen said to the bunny, her right hand-paw gently grabbing Jenny's hand-paws and lowering them enough to see the claw marks on her cheek. The bleeding had stopped, but her cheek was still strained with fresh blood. Fortunately, she did notice the claw marks weren't deep enough to need any stitching on them, but were still pretty bad enough to need immediate treatment. She couldn't help but snarl lightly upon seeing the wound, the rabbit slightly tensing from the noise. “I can't believe my own brother would do this to you”, she growled slightly, but shakes her head and lets a sigh leave her mouth. “Are you alright?”

“As much as I can be, I suppose…” Jenny answered prior to tilting her head downward and looking to her right. Her hand-paws began shaking, and her shoulders shook just the same. Tomoe immediately noticed this and gently pulls her into a comforting hug, much to the rabbit's surprise. Jenny's eyes were wide from it, but she didn't complain at all. She honestly needed this. Her own arms wrap around the vixen's and soon buries her head onto her left shoulder, fresh tears now streaming down her face and soaking Tomoe's shirt. Soft sobs start to accompany her tears and soon found herself breaking down with heavier ones.

“Shhhh… its okay”, Tomoe spoke soothingly with her hand-paws holding her back with her left hand-paw and her right holding the back of her head. Her finger's gently brush her soft, long, dark brown/dark blonde colored hair in the most soothing way possible, soon resting her left cheek on top of the rabbit's head comfortingly.

“I'm scared…” Jenny spoke softly, her lips quivering following a sob. “I don't wanna lose him… I don't wanna lose Matt…” the bunny sobbed, the vixen gently placing her hand-paws onto her cheeks and tilting her head up towards her.

“You won't lose him, Jenny”, Tomoe began. “After I saw you two kiss at the station yesterday morning, there's no doubt your love for him will bring him back home safely”, she continued with a soft, genuine smile forming on her muzzle. “He has a strong will to live, and is willing to do whatever it takes to return to you, no matter what”, the vixen added. “Besides, with the skill level he has with a sword, nothing will be able to stop him from returning to you”, the vixen reassured, her thumbs gently drying the rabbit's tears before the bunny smiles slightly towards the fox. She loses her smile shortly afterward and leans forward, resting her right cheek onto her shoulder as comfortably as she could,

“Matt… please come home soon”, Jenny thought within her mind, her arms slightly tightening their hold around Tomoe's waist. “I need you more than ever…” the bunny continued to think and continues to hold Tomoe gently, her mind solely on Matt and hoping for his safe return home, hoping for her fox's safe return to his bunny.

Hoping for his safe return to her…

* * *

 

_**Nick's residence, an hour and a half later** _

A sharp gasp suddenly escapes Nick's muzzle, his body jolts upward out of nowhere, covered in cold sweat, and eyes shot wide open. Heavy breathing soon followed the utter silence inside of the bedroom shortly after his awakening, his jade green eyes surveying the room slowly. The blur that once engulfed his vision was now clear of it, his eyesight being as clear as day. But now that he was in here, one question immediately formed in his mind.

“What…? Wait, how did I get here?” Nick spoke softly while continuing to look around the room, looking at the various music themed posters on the walls along with the Hawaiian wallpaper. He looks at the closed door and looks at the wooden rack vertically holding four sheathed swords, two of them being katanas with twenty six and a half inch blades and the other two being fifteen and a half inch wakizashis. And because the weapons were on the rack attached to the door, Matt had failed to notice this when he dropped Nick off three and a half hours ago (unbeknownst to Nick himself). Speaking of him, Nick's leans forward and clutches onto his head tightly with both of his hand-paws, and a familiar scene began to play in his head.

_Nicholas Wilde was currently walking home though an alleyway in a drunken state, his fur being a ragged, wet mess and carrying a bottle of Ballantine's Scotch Whiskey on him. Much of the details were still hazy because of how blurry his nocturnal vision was at the time, but nevertheless he was able to make enough distinctions to know the area to say the least. His Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants were soaked from the rain, but he honestly didn't care. He makes a turn towards another alley before suddenly feeling a fairly large amount of crimson colored, metallic scented liquid hitting his clothes and parts of his fur. Oh, how the details were starting to come back to him instantly._

_He was now standing before another fox ten feet away from him, having been carrying a chained katana with his left hand-paw and another one with his right. The other fox's attire consisted of a black hoodie covering his torso and much of his face (a black breathable cloth muzzle mask covering his muzzle entirely). The fox's hand-paws were obviously covered with black leather gloves along with what appears to be a pair of samurai bracers of the same color. A pair of dark green cargo pants covered his legs, with the leg openings of his pants being tucked into the fox's black open toe boots. But what caught his attention the most were not the clothes he wore, nor the dead lupine behind_ _him_ _(_ _the wolf's_ _body_ _having been_ _severed in half)._

_What caught Nick's attention the most were the eyes the other fox bore. They weren't the eyes of a murderous assassin, but those of a frightened kit despite the mature appearance his muscular body bore. But the assassin's eyes themselves were strongly familiar to him, the color being the same jade green color Nick bore on him. Why did that bring a sense a familiarity to Nick? Did he actually know the assassin under the guise, or is it_ _a_ _coincidence_ _(an an unusually disturbing one at that_ _)_ _?_

All of the sudden, a nasty migraine headache hits the fox's head with a sharp pain, making the fox lean his upper body forward with his right hand-paw holding his forehead. He was rubbing it gently with his eyes barely open, but what he saw on his clothes made them shoot wide open with shock. The same crimson colored liquid was on his pants and on parts his shirt (from what he could see). And he immediately recognized the liquid instantly! It was blood, and not just any blood, but the blood of the wolf he drunkenly saw the other fox murder. His breathing immediately became erratic, and his lungs were rising up and down just as quick.

“Oh god…” Nick thought inside of his head. Whether it was the sight of the blood on his clothes or the scent of it alone that was making him nauseous, he was unsure. But he soon found himself covering his own muzzle with his left hand-paw and rushes out of the bedroom, heading straight to the bathroom on the left and completely ignoring the nasty migraine he has in his hungover mind. Within the next second, the fox found himself vomiting inside the toilet bowl and flushing the toilet by pulling the lever down. Nick quickly starts gasping for air with heavy, heaving breaths right after vomiting the contents out of his stomach. “Okay, either the scent of blood is making me nauseous or I really need to lay off the hard liquor”, he commented with heavy breaths before standing up and walking towards the bathroom door. Bur right as he was about to grab the doorknob did he notice his own reflection in the mirror. And oh my god, he literally looked like hell.

Dark eye circles were seen under his eyes, and the sclera of his eyes being slightly red, but not as bad as it was when he was at the bar hours ago. His clothes were still the same as they were when he was at the bar, except they were mostly strained with blood. Not his, but the blood of the lupine the assassin had killed when Nick entered the alley at the time. His fur was practically a ruffled mess and sticking in various directions, almost identical to a bird's nest, parts of his fur also stained with slight hints of blood despite the rain having washed most of it off. He shook his head a couple times and quickly concluded to one thing.

“Jesus… I'm not looking at my brightest, aren't I?” Nick said to himself softly with a shrug. “I seriously need a shower before anything else… can't go around smelling like a homeless bum”, he continued before exiting the bathroom for a bit and heads to his room, only to return a couple minutes later with a clean, folded pair of clothes in hand. The pair of clothes he grabbed consisted of a pair of black slacks, a matching colored button up dress coat, and a dark cerulean blue neck sweater.

With those clothes in hand, the fox gently places them on the counter right across from the shower hall, grabbing a towel from the closet right next to it shortly after. He places it on the rack next to the shower stall before removing the bloodied clothes from his body. He wasn't unsure if he should try to wash them later of if he should dispose of them, but honestly, he didn't care about that right now. All he cared about at this time was to clean himself up and remove the remaining traces of the wolf's blood on his fur, not to mention he needed some time to think to himself.

It wasn't long before the sound of semi-hard water droplets began hitting the tile flooring and the shower stall glass door repetitively, with Nick standing directly below the shower head and letting the medium-hot water hit his body. His head hung low as the soothing hot water travels from the back of his head and down through his body. As soothing as the hot water hitting his body was, his mind couldn't process the relaxing feeling from them. No, his mind was clouded with thoughts about various things, not just about what had happened this morning, but with thoughts about the assassin in particular.

“I don't know what it is… but despite the fact I was drunk at the time, when I looked into his eyes, its almost like I knew him from somewhere…” Nick thought within his mind, his eyes lost in thought and not caring about how much time had passed. “I couldn't see any other features on his face, so I can't say for sure on who he is…” the fox continued with his train of thought. But as he continued to think about it, his eyes widen slightly and his ears perk up just as much. His mouth began to open slightly as if he had a revelation. Whether or not he did, he wasn't sure? But perhaps…. “Wait… could that assassin be…? No, he couldn't… could he?” the fox asked himself softly, his head raising upward until he was looking directly in front of himself.

The next thing he knew, he found himself turning the water off in the shower and quickly shaking the excess water off of him before using a towel to dry himself with. Before he knew it, the fox's fur was no longer wet with water and wasn't sticking in random directions anymore, having groomed his fur for at least a good ten minutes before quickly putting on his clothes. With the fox dressed in the garments he brought into the bathroom, he rushes out and runs down the stairs, only to stop right when he got to the front door. His head turns towards a photo placed right next to the telephone, the photo depicting his parents in the back; he and his older brother, Terrance, his two sisters, Melissa and Tauriel, in the middle; and his little brother, Matt, in the front. He remembered that particular photo quite well, honestly, having been taken in early December 2000.

Although the photo itself brought good memories back, he didn't focus on the memories behind the picture, his eyes were fixed towards his brother, Matt, who was eight years old at the time the photo was taken. He couldn't help but smile softly at the look Matt bore on his face during that time, his brows arching upward happily, his eyes closed, and his bright, innocent smile lightening the mood of the family photo. But the soft smile on Nick's face didn't last much longer, however, for he loses the smile and letting out a soft sigh with his eyes closed and his ears pulled back.

“Its no use…” Nick said to himself softly following a depressed sigh. “I haven't seen my Dad since he left us in January 2001, nor aunt Karen or my little brother since they departed for the correctional campsite in the Tri-Burrows area five months after Dad left”, the fox continued to speak to himself following a light shrug. “And now…” the fox began, but merely stopped and choked a bit. It seemed he was about to break down, but the vulpine manages to recover and turns away from the photo. He knew where he wanted to, no, needed to go to. He walks towards the door and grabs a blue umbrella on the way, the parasol screen bearing green palm tree designs much similar to the leaves on many of the green Hawaiian shirt he owns.

With the umbrella in hand, the fox exits the house and locks the door behind him, closing it with his unoccupied hand-paw and walks down the small set of stairs. Fortunately it wasn't raining outside, but the smell of rain and the dark clouds remained nonetheless. He had a strong feeling he would end up having to deal with rainy weather again later on, so he knew it was best if the fox just took the umbrella with him. After all, best safe and sorry, right?

Nick turns to his left and began walking along the sidewalk deep in thought, passing by a few mammals like a commoner passing through a rich part of town. But in his case, however, he was a rich mammal walking in one of the most ghetto areas of the Downtown/Savanna Central area. And thanks to selling enough pawpsicles along with the other jobs he's been doing, he was able to make a living by making two hundred bucks a day, three hundred sixty five days a year for over thirteen years. But his thoughts were not on making any money, however, but the sole reminiscing of his memories about his family, particular towards his mother and his little brother.

He wasn't sure about how long he had been walking along the streets of downtown Zootopia, but he soon found himself at the arched gates of 'Downtown Zootopia Cemetery'. The fox stops at the entrance of the gate and stares towards the iron words embedded onto the arch of the gate. A soft sigh leave his mouth before looking straight towards the front, his feet-paws guiding him along the stone, thus entering the graveyard in total isolation. Continuing to walk along the stone path as he did, the fox passes the large gravestones like a pebble flowing through a river of time. A loud, thunderous ' _ **boom**_ ' echos the clouded skies above with the occasional raindrop following shortly after. It was light and lacking at first. But it wouldn't be long before he reached his destination, which was an isolated area near a large oak tree. And before he knew it, he was standing in front of a large, conjoined grave that depicted two names:

__**Karen Melissa Longstride  
September 23 rd, 1957 – June 2001  
A Wonderful Woman, a Loving Sister and Aunt**

Nick's eyes move from the grave on the left of the plaque to the second grave on the right. And this one was the most saddening of all…

__**Matthew Palladin Wilde  
January 8 th, 1992 – June 2001  
A Loving Son and Nephew, a True Friend, a Wonderful Brother**

The instant the fox saw the grave of his little brother, Nick kneels forward and rest his behind on his heels. He stares blankly at the two graves with his brows pointing upward in sadness, his eyes narrowed in a similar feeling. As the rain began to get heavier, the fox slowly opens his umbrella and hovers it over him with his right hand-paw. With a soft sigh, he closes his eyes and slowly shakes his head.

“I've lost you…” Nick began calmly with a tone filled with sorrow, yet the half-lidded expression was vacant of any emotion. “Since I was twelve, I've been out of the house most of the time conning mammals with numerous scams. Whether it were the simple ones like of the pawpsicle hustles with Finnick, or the more complicated ones with the others, I did what I could to make money and help Ma and the rest of the family as best as I could…” the fox continued to lament and opens his eyes halfway, the optical orbs glistening with a sad wetness in them. “Even if I was able to make two hundred bucks a day and used some of it to pay part of the bills, none of it mattered…. I should've stayed in high school and get myself a legit job during or after graduating. But… who would want to hire a sly, untrustworthy fox like me, in the first place…?” he kept lamenting before shutting his eyes tightly as an attempt to prevent the tears from leaving his eyes, but to no avail. The tears manage to escape and stream down his face even if his eyes were sealed shut. “I should've listened to you and Ma all those years ago… I should've listened after I got muzzled during the ranger scouts initiation…” the fox choked at the end of his lamenting towards his mother, choking quite a few sobs and covering his mouth with his left hand-paw.

He manages to regain his composure enough to turn his attention directly towards the other grave, towards Matt's grave. Tears continued streaming down his face regardless to the fact he had regained his composure. There were words he still needed to say, words he should've said a long time ago, and there was still plenty of grief that still needed to be expressed just as much. If not, heavier.

“Matt… I remember all those times I came home, how you would come up to me and asked how my business went. You were always excited to see me regardless of how often I came by, no matter how good or bad any of our days were. Even the innocent smile you used to give me always brightened my day, no matter how bad it got…” Nick reminisced softly, recalling many memories about his little brother when he was in his teens. While it brought a smile on his muzzle momentarily, he lost it when his eyes refocused on the grave, Matt's grave. “Mom was devastated after we found out about you and Karen's disappearance. I invested all the money I had made into hiring a private investigator in hope we could find you and Karen… but it was all for nothing!”, the fox kept speaking, even if his voice was starting to crack for the second time that day. “I wish you were still here, Matt…. I-I wish I… I could've been at home to tell you and Karen goodbye if I… I knew this would be the last time I would see you again…” the fox lamented with a saddened tone, his voice becoming hoarse from the tone he was bearing. “I wish I went with you and Karen when she took you to the correctional campsite…. I could've done something to prevent this… I could've… I-” and that was it, all he could say right before he leans towards the ground with his left hand-paw covering his eyes and began sobbing uncontrollably. “I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Matt…!” he cried in a tone full of sadness and remorse. “I should've been there…. I should've been there…!”

His cries continue to last for a good five minutes at the very most, not caring if any of the cold rain hit his body at all. He honestly didn't care. The only thing coursing his mind were Matt and his deceased aunt, Karen. But when the cries died down, the fox slowly stands up onto his feet-paws with his eyes never leaving the graves of his two relatives. But he couldn't linger here any longer, even if he didn't wanna leave. Using his left forearm to dry his tears, the fox looks down at the grave one last time with a depressed sigh escaping the back of his mouth.

“I'm sorry…” Nick spoke with a soft, depressed voice before closing his eyes and shaking his head softly. And with those last words said, the fox turns a hundred eighty degrees and departs from the graves of Matt and Karen Wilde. Unaware to Nicholas Wilde, another male fox had been watching the event during Nick's agonizing cries with his jade green eyes.

Matt Wilde had been hiding behind one of the large oak trees for roughly a few minutes now, the tree being roughly thirty yards away from the graves his brother was crying in front of. Roughly fifty minutes ago, the assassin had left the safe house to continue his investigation regarding the Neo-Shogunate armies around the Downtown/Savanna Central area of Zootopia. He had finished gathering all of his belongings and left them on the couch in the small living room, ready for him to grab when the chopper got near the extraction point. His attire was the same as it was after he had changed earlier, except for the fact he was now wearing his black hoodie along with the black cloth muzzle mask covering much of his face.

With his brother having left the graves, the fox walks directly towards the graves Nick once knelt in front of. Just who did those graves belong to, he wondered? And that thought alone made him generally curious. He didn't recall having any of their relatives being buried in this part of this graveyard, let alone this Cemetery. But regardless of the thought, he walks silently towards the graves his brother once knelt in front of, oblivious to what he was about to see. And as soon as he stood in front of them, his eyes widen slightly with genuine surprise. Not only was he standing in front of the grave of his deceased aunt (an empty one at that)…

… but he was also standing in front of his _**own**_.

“Well would you look at that… I'm a dead mammal in Zootopia”, Matt joked almost darkly at that, a soft smirk involuntarily forming on his muzzle. It was ironic, really. Everyone he knew thought that he and his aunt died eight years ago. However, although his mother was actually dead, he was still alive, unbeknownst to his friends and relatives in Zootopia. “At least they know aunt Karen's dead… but I don't know if Nick or the rest of my siblings are aware both me and Karen's graves are empty”, the fox said softly right before losing the smirk he bore on his muzzle. And that was indeed true, he was standing in front of two empty graves. For one, he was alive. As for his aunt, he had buried her at the Tri-Burrows Correctional Campsite the day after the incident had occurred there back in June 2001, and that night was the worst night of his life. Not only did he lose aunt Karen that night, but she was killed right in front of him, and he was the only relative who knew of her death _and_ the location of her grave.

Like Nick, Matt couldn't linger here any longer. He had to continue his investigation for a bit longer and get the hell out of Zootopia. The longer he stayed in the city, the higher the chance someone he knew would recognize him right off the bat. With his hand-paws inside his hoodie pockets, the fox turns a hundred eighty degrees and walks silently in the heavy rain, not caring if his clothes get drenched in the unpleasantly rainy weather.

About halfway to the exit did his phone unexpectedly began going off out of nowhere, stopping the fox on his tracks and causing the mammal to grab his phone out of the case. He spots a marble bench on the left and walks right at it, thankful it was under a large branch from another oak tree. The vulpine sits on the hard surface and looks at the caller ID, his eyes widening slightly with surprise upon seeing who was calling him.

“Iizuka?” Matt thought curiously before tapping the 'answer' icon on the touch screen, quickly placing the phone over the right side of his face. “Iizuka, what's going on?”

“ _Matt, I've just received word from one of our clan members regarding a new target for you to kill in Zootopia. And since you're currently stationed at Zootopia, you seem to be the one qualified for the job_ ”, Iizuka claimed on the other end.

“New target? What are you talking about?” Matt asked curiously, his eyes moving to the direction where he was holding his phone. “And how do you know I'm at Zootopia? I don't recall Thrandeer telling you about my whereabouts”, he asked again, now cocking a curiously suspicious brow upon hearing this.

“ _It appears someone stumbled upon the mess you've made at the Savanna Heights Complex last night. I was told by the clan leader himself to give you the following order: 'You are to eliminate the target before you are to be extracted from Zootopia'. Those were Thrandeer's exact words_ ”, Iizuka claimed.

“Wait, wouldn't the chief called me already about the order? Its not like he has any-”

“ _Unfortunately, he does have business_ ”, Iizuka interrupted on the other end. “ _Apparently, an incident just happened at the new Ishin-Mirkwood hideout ten miles Northwest of New Otsu_ ”.

“Incident?!” Matt asked, quickly jumping onto his feet-paws right as he asked. “What's going on? What the hell happened?!”

“ _I'm not certain, but one of the Ishin-Mirkwood loyalists will contact you once we gather enough information about the situation_ ”, Iizuka claimed. “ _In the meantime, I've already sent you the text regarding the new target. You should be getting it any moment now_ ”, with that response, the tanuki hangs up on the other end and the fox moves his phone away from his head. Right as he did, a loud ' _ **ding**_ ' goes off and thus notifies the fox about the text message.

“Alright, who's the new target…” Matt thought right before tapping on the text message icon from Iizuka, completely oblivious on who his next target was. And the instant the message opened did Matt's eyes immediately shoot wide open, a loud gasp even escaping his open mouth and his eyes glaring at the photo of the new target. His heart was pounding hard with shock, no, horror at the mammal he now had to kill. “Oh, please, dear god no…” he muttered with shock. Nothing could've prepared the Battousai for who he now had to assassinate.

His target: Nicholas P. Wilde…


	17. The Unintended Target

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On 12/1/16, this chapter was edited to correlate with the recent change in the relationship between Karen and the Wilde Family. It was also slightly reformated as well.

_ **The Unintended Target** _

 

A lone fox walks silently in the downtown area of the Downtown/Savanna Central District, an umbrella in hand and dressed in a business savvy suit. But his mind wasn't focused on anything business related, but about everything that had transpired not too long ago. He had left the cemetery only moments ago after seeing the graves of his dead aunt and supposedly dead brother, Matt. His eyes were looking down slightly at the ground, and his head was tilted downward in a similar angle. Now he walks along the sidewalk in pure silence, occasionally passing by a group of mammals, small and large alike, with his mind clouded with his own thoughts.

Several minutes already pass since he had left the graveyard in silence, and except for the occasional sound of thunder, the chatter of other mammals, sounds of horns being honked and so forth, it still remained silent. A soft shrug escapes the fox's mouth before looking forward with his jade green eyes, completely oblivious a driver preparing to pull out of an alleyway. He continues to remain silent in his thoughts until a loud ' _ **HONK**_ ' snaps him out of his train of thought. Quickly jumping back upon hearing the noise, the fox fixes his eyes towards the fennec driver inside of the van and throws his arms up in the air.

“Jeez, Finnick! What the hell?! You trying to run me over or something?!” Nick asked with furrowed eyes right before the fennec fox moves his head out of the window, which was a but if a difficult task due to his small size.

“If you don't get'cha ass in here, maybe I won't have to!” Finnick growled. “We got a delivery to make down at the abandoned warehouse in the Rainforest District”.

“Delivery? What are we, a pizza delivering company?” Nick asked with a cocked brow, now curious and even slightly suspicious about what it was they were needing to deliver.

“I'm ain't sure what the hell it is we're supposed to be delivering, but it sure ain't no pizzas”, Finnick replied. “The crate's already been placed in the back of the van. So hurry up and get yo ass in here”, he growled right as Nick rolls his eyes, but nonetheless walks to the other side of the van and enters the vehicle through the passenger door.

“How much are we getting paid for this?” Nick asked while he was buckling himself in and looking at the crate in the back for a moment, which happened to be identical to the one they tried delivering last night prior to discovering the bloody scene. However, he turns to the front and leans back against the seat as the fennec presses the gas pedal, allowing the car to accelerate towards the driver's destination.

“From what I was told, five grand”, Finnick replied.

“Five grand?!” Nick replied with shock while quickly turning his head towards the fennec with his eyes shooting wide open.

“Yep, and that's assuming everything goes as planned, unlike last night”, Finnick added, recalling the bloody discovery both foxes made last night and not noticing Nick turning towards the passenger side window. God, thinking about it right now was starting to make the fennec cringe. “Ugh, Who the hell was responsible for that damn mess, anyways?” he asked with a disgusted tone. And although Nick wasn't exactly paying attention to it, he couldn't blame the fennec for cringing. He would've been cringing at the thought alone, but his mind wasn't focused on the ones responsible for the bloody murders.

“I don't know…” Nick answered with a sigh leaving his mouth, slowly blinking and looking towards the ground with his right hand-paw supporting his head. Finnick caught this quickly and turns his head towards his partner in crime right as he got to a red light.

“What's wrong with you? You've been down ever since the bloody discovery last night”, Finnick asked with a genuinely concerned tone, even if his face looked angered (which he wasn't, but had mostly kept that look to scare other mammals off).

“I visited the Downtown Zootopia Cemetery not too long ago…” Nick answered with another sigh coming out of his mouth.

“Downtown Zootopia Cemetery? What the hell were you-” Finnick was about to ask, but immediately stopped himself immediately before he unintentionally stupid. “Oh… your aunt and little brother, Matt…”

“Yeah…” Nick replied with a soft nod, again another sigh escaping Nick's muzzle right after his response. “Look, I don't mean to pry on your private life, but what were you doing at the bar a few hours ago?” the fennec asked with a curious tone. Nick turns towards the fennec for a moment before leaning back against his seat.

“Well… lets just say I had a lot on my mind at the time”, Nick answered honestly.

“And I'm assuming some of it involved the bloody scene last night”, Finnick asked before pressing on the gas right after the light turned green, allowing the smaller fox to continue driving towards their destination.

“Yeah… amongst other things”, Nick answered with a shrug. Although he wanted to pry on the matter a bit further, the fennec decided against it, thinking it was best to leave the fox be for the time being.

“I see”, Finnick replied quietly, yet loud enough for his friend to hear, before focusing his attention on the road and continuing to drive towards their destination.

The remainder of the trip was silent throughout, with the exception of the windshield wipers wiping the windshield along with Finnick checking the radio stations to see if anything good was playing. Unfortunately, nothing good came on the radio and merely shuts it off, making the fennec shrug out of aggravation. Then again with all the crappy scene music and electronicore bands playing on the radio, what else is there to listen to on the radio without an IPawd? Finnick was practically hoping he didn't have to drive in the silence for much longer.

* * *

 

Fortunately for him, traffic was rather pleasant throughout the trip and not a single accident was seen on the road, which helped shorten the trip by a great amount. The other drivers drove towards their destinations swiftly without any trouble despite the heavy amount of rain pouring over the city of Zootopia. And before they knew it, Nick and Finnick manage to spot the factory they were heading towards a few minutes after entered the Rainforest District.

The factory itself was a five story building entirely made of steel, unlike the other residences within the area that were mostly made of wood. While its appearance proven to look abandoned, that was not the case for the location. Near the entrance of the place, from what the two vulpine males could see, there were several other mammals walking around the front of the property. Some of them bore black business suits, yet the others were seem to be bearing modernized ninja outfits? Whether it was some sort of private convention or some sort of meeting, none of them knew, but either way, one thing was certain.

“We're here”, Finnick said to his partner in crime before driving near the entrance, noticing a checkpoint as the two males drew closer to the abandoned looking factory. The fennec presses on the break when they arrived to the checkpoint, the two males noticing one of the business dressed mammals, particularly a lean built cheetah, approaching them with a stern look on his face. With a couple knocks on the driver's side window, Finnick rolls the window down and gazes directly at the business savvy cheetah standing outside.

“State your business, fennec!” the cheetah ordered authoritatively, albeit with a calm tone in his voice.

“Relax, buddy. Me and my boy here were told to deliver the crate to this place”, Finnick replied. “The sooner we drop the crate off, the sooner we'll be gone”, the fennec added, only to receive a cocked brow from the cheetah himself. However, with a light shrug, the feline nods with understanding and takes several steps back, turning his head to his left and giving a thumbs up to the checkpoint's gate operator. The male arctic fox, who was the checkpoint's gate operator, nods before pressing the button and allowing the linear gate to rotate upward. With the gate pointing directly upward, Finnick prepares to press on the gas pedal, but the cheetah walks towards the driver's side and causing the small fox to stop what he was doing.

“Before you enter, park the van at the lot on the left side of the building. The others will direct you to our boss when the deed is done”, the cheetah said to the fennec following an acknowledging nod coming from both Finnick and Nick. With this now in mind, the small fox presses the gas pedal and drives directly towards the entrance, quickly turning left right as they entered the facility's grounds.

As soon as Finnick gets the van parked near the front, both he and Nick step out of the van and quickly start rushing towards the back. Nick opens the back of the van and picks up Finnick, placing him inside the van before jumping into the back with him. Two other mammals, one being business savvy and the other dressed in modernized ninja clothing, approach the van with a dolly cart in their possession. Talk about convenient, huh. Because right as Nick and Finnick manage to get the crate at the edge of the van and pushes it right onto the square shaped dolly.

“Good, now go meet with out boss. He will discuss payment options with you”, the business savvy dressed mammal, a brown furred horse, said to the two foxes before he and his ninja dressed partner, a light brown and white furred husky, walk away and take the crate to a nearby stack. Both Nick and Finnick nod towards each other before jumping off the back and shutting the doors behind them.

With the crate taken care of, both foxes walk directly to the entrance of the abandoned appearing facility and enter the building, their eyes gazing at their surroundings closely. One thing they noticed was the fact that, despite their nocturnal vision, there was a lack of lights in the warehouse, with the exception of a few torches being lit. The only light source inside the seemingly abandoned factory was at the heart of the facility itself. And there, standing in the middle of the hugely sized room was the boss in charge.

The boss was a tiger bearing orange and white fur colors, with black stripes being seen on parts of his body. For instance, the other tiger happened to bear long, brushed back gray colored hair along with an identically colored mustache and chin goatee on his muzzle. He was rather tall in height, possibly double or triple the height of Nick. The muscles he bore on his body were strongly built and defined, with his facial area being aged enough to show he was somewhere in his early forties. Those factors, along with the stern look he bore on his face, were enough to give the tiger an intimidating look. His clothing was strongly identical to the those bearing ninja based outfits, with the exception of not wearing a black long sleeve shirt under the brown sleeveless kimono shirt. In fact, his strongly built arms and parts of his chest were exposed because of the fact he wasn't wearing one.

Regardless of how intimidating the tiger was for both foxes, Nick covers his mouth with his left clenched hand-paw and quickly clears his throat.

“Excuse me, Sir! You're the guy running this place?” Nick asked while placing his hand-paws behind his back.

“I am”, the tiger answered with a stern nod. “My name is Tatsumi, and I was informed you would be the ones delivering a crate to this location, are you not?” he asked.

“Uh, yes, sir, we are”, Nick answered with a nod. “I'm Nicholas Wilde, and this is my partner, Finnick”, the fox said while moving his right hand-paw towards Finnick's direction. “Now that the introductions have been taken care of, shall we start talking about the payment methods?”

“Yes”, Tatsumi replied with a nod, his hand-paws moving towards his pants pockets. “But before we do, there is something I wish to discuss with you, Mr. Wilde”.

“Nick, please. 'Mr. Wilde' makes me feel older than I look”, Nick joked with a couple of chuckles. “But in all seriousness, feel free to ask me anything, Tatsumi”, the fox added, receiving a nod from the stern looking tiger a second later.

“Of course”, Tatsumi replied, his eyes narrowing slightly at the twenty five year old. “This morning, I have been made aware about the murder of one of my colleagues in an alleyway a couple blocks away from the Vulpine Vibes Pub in Savanna Central. I had been informed you were there at the time of my colleague's death”, the tiger began, Nick cocking a brow at him upon hearing this.

“I beg your pardon?” Nick asked, yet that didn't seem the be the right thing to do after seeing Tatsumi's eyes narrow slightly again, but with a dangerous tone to them.

“A colleague of mine was killed in an alleyway a couple blocks from the Vulpine Vibes Pub and I was told you were there at the time of his death”, Tatsumi repeated.

“Are you accusing me of killing him?” Nick growled, although the growl was unintentional.

“No”, Tatsumi answered. “I already know you were not the one who killed my colleague. However, you merely happen to be there at the time he was killed”, the tiger claimed. “His murderer was another fox like you, who goes under the alias, Battousai the Animal Slayer. His eyes were a jade green color and the fur colors on his body are much identical to yours”, he claimed, the fox moving his head back and narrowing his eyes directly at Tatsumi, completely oblivious to the fact several ninja dressed mammals were slowly approaching the group. “Tell me, is the Battousai by any means related to you?” he asked before the fox rolls his eyes and scoffs.

“Uh, no”, Nick replied quickly. “Last I checked, both of my parents are gone, and I only have one brother who's still alive”, the fox added.

“I see…” Tatsumi replied with a low growl, which was hardly noticeable thanks to him retaining a calm gesture. “I suppose it was merely a coincidence. But last I checked, Nick, one of my other colleagues had said otherwise”.

“What do you mean?” Nick asked suspiciously, both he and Finnick taking a couple steps back upon hearing that.

“One of my colleagues ran into the Battousai at the Big estate last night and slaughtered several of Mr. Big's henchmen”, Tatsumi claimed, immediately causing the fox's eyes to widen upon the mentioning of the deaths. The Battousai was at Mr. Big's estate? Let alone killed several of Mr. Big's henchmen?! “He claimed to hear the Battousai mentioning you as his older brother. And since I see you have the same eye and fur colors as the Battousai, there is no mistake!” the tiger exclaimed right before pointing his right index finger directly at Nick “You are the assassin's brother”.

“I don't have a younger brother anymore!” Nick growled with a furious tone of voice, bearing his fangs at the tiger and not caring if he was smaller than he was. “My little brother died over eight years ago! And to hear you lying to me by claiming he's still alive, that's completely ridiculous!” the fox growled again out of anger before turning a quick one hundred eighty degrees and began marching away from him. “C'mon, Finnick! These pricks are wasting our fucking time”, he continued while marching towards the exit, the fennec fox shaking his head and quickly marching towards his partner in crime.

“You will not be going anywhere, Nicky”, a familiar, Russian accented voice growled, suddenly causing both Nick and Finnick to stop dead on their tracks. Finnick cocks a curious brow at the familiar voice, but Nick's eyes widen with shock and terror. He knew that voice, and the fox was now trembling with fear, although only slightly. But the trembling increased the instant the polar bear came into the open and several meters in front of him.

“Roman?!” both Nick and Finnick exclaimed with surprise, not having expected him to be here, not even expecting him in different clothing.

Roman's clothing consisted of an outfit much identical to some of the mammals wearing modern day ninja clothing. A long sleeve black shirt was was worn under his brown sleeveless hakama shirt, both shirts being tucked into his black hakama pants. The leg openings were tucked into his brown open toe boots, much similarly to the sleeves of his long sleeve shirt being tucked into his brown samurai bracers. Two swords were equipped on the left side of his body, one being a thirty six inch long katana and the other being an eighteen inch long wakizashi.

“H-hey, Roman! What are you doing here?” Nick asked with a nervous chuckle and ears folded back, soon backing away the polar bear despite the larger mammal walking towards the fox. “Yeah-uh, I-I like the new getup! The whole ninja thing, ya know-” the fox tried to continue speaking right until he felt someone punch his back, a loud yelp in pain escaping the fox's mouth right as he was sent flying directly towards the polar bear, much to Finnick's shock. Roman grabs the vulpine with his left hand-paw and tightens his grip around his waist the instant he grabbed him.

“NICK!” Finnick growled with shock right before dashing towards him. However, Tatsumi, the one who attacked Nick in the first place, suddenly kicks the fennec fox towards the other ninja dressed mammals like a soccer ball hitting a goal. And the goal were the mammals behind Finnick, all of them grabbing the small fox easily with their large hand-paws. The fennec tries to do what he could in order to break free, but to no avail.

“Neither one of you aren't going anywhere”, Tatsumi said sternly towards the struggling foxes before shifting his attention towards the polar bear holding Nick. “Roman, interrogate Nicholas here and extract whatever information he may have regarding the Battousai”.

“Of course”, Roman replied with a nod. “And what about the fennec?” he asked. But right before the tiger could answer, his phone suddenly goes off and causes him to pull it out of the case. He unlocks the phone and looks at the message sent to him, cocking a brow at the text before placing it back inside its case.

“As much as I want to remain here until the we've gathered enough mammals supporting the Neo-Shogunate cause, I must return to Kawasabus immediately”, Tatsumi answered. “I was informed of a situation happening within the government's capitol as of now”, the tiger continued, turning towards the other mammals holding Finnick with their hand-paws and glares at the trio sternly. “You three interrogate Finnick here and see if you can gather any information as well. Once you find out, text me with the information so I can put it to good use”, with the order given out, the tiger quickly dashes away from the scene at a very fast speed, much to the surprise of both Finnick and Nick. But none of them had time to think about that. What they needed to do was get the hell out of there, and fast!

As for their captors, well… lets just say they have much planned for them.

“Alright, mammals! Bring the foxes inside the factory and interrogate-” Roman was about to give out the order until Nick suddenly bites his hand, a yelp of pain escaping the polar bear and loosening his grip enough to allow the fox go free.

Now that Nick was freed, he suddenly darts towards his partner, Finnick and jumps towards the three ninja's holding him captive. However, the fennec manages to bite his captors ferociously right before Nick got to him. With the two foxes now freed, the duo quickly rush towards their van in the parking lot and use the crates to camouflage themselves. Whether it'll help the two lose their captors or at least delay them enough to where they can flee, none of them are sure. But either way, they needed to get the fuck out of there, and fast!

Fortunately for them, they were able to escape the maze full of crates with ease, both of them being several yards from the van. Finnick's sprinting quickened greatly when he saw his van, his home, quickly grabbing his keys and pressing the unlock button to the vehicle. The fennec jumps up to the handle and pulls it towards him, thus opening the door and allowing the small fox to climb into the large van quickly. He places the key and was about to turn the ignition forward… right until his eyes catch the sight of Nick being captured by Roman and sever other ninjas, with the larger sized fox struggling to get free.

“NICK!!” Finnick shouted and was about to jump out of the van, but Nick quickly shakes his head towards the fennec rapidly.

“Fin, don't!” Nick shouted, much to the fennec's surprise. “Get out of here while you still can!! Go get help, and I don't care if its the cops! Just GO!” and those were the last words that managed to come out of the fox's mouth before he was knocked unconscious by the with a nasty fist punching the left side of his head. Finnick, as shocked as he was, knew that he had to do something. Grabbing the handle of his door as quick as he could, the fennec closes the door and starts the ignition to his van.

With the van up and running, the small fox pulls the lever to reverse and pulls backwards, turning the car to the right ninety degrees and switches the vehicle to drive. Loud tapping noises can be heard from all over the car, especially on the glass. Either way, regardless of the car's windshield starting to crack, he didn't care. He needed to get the fuck out of there and get some help. With the press of the gas pedal, the fennec quickly drives out of the parking lot and right through the wooden, linear gate, not caring if he was driving erratically within the wet roads of the Rainforest District.

“Hold on, Nick. Just hold on…!” Finnick thought inside of his mind and narrows his eyes slightly towards the road, keeping his attention focused on driving towards Savanna Central. He was gonna get help no matter who it is, regardless if it was the fuzz… or if he's lucky, an extremely skilled assassin to eliminate Nick's captors!

* * *

 

_**Downtown Savanna Central, ten minutes later** _

Many mammals walk along the streets of Downtown Savanna Central with umbrellas in hand, many of the business savvy ones already heading to their late lunch hour breaks despite the heavy rain. Traffic was fairly heavy thanks to the crappy weather and all, along with some of the mammals having got off work early and were trying to get home or some other place. While this was the case for many, this wasn't the case for one fox in particular.

Matt was currently running through the alleyways trying to find his brother, Nick, or hoping he could find any potential assassins after him. He was playing a huge risk in potentially having his identity compromised, but that was the least of Matt's worries. He had to find his brother, and fast! The fox didn't care if they were from the Neo-Shogunate clans of even the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, he had no intention of letting anyone kill his brother, no matter the cost. Why the hell would someone in his own clan give the order to kill an unintended target, let alone his own brother?

Speaking of the order, the assassin immediately knew who to call. The fox suddenly grabs his phone and pulls it out of his pocket, unlocking it and scrolling through the contacts list until he spots 'Thrandeer' on the list. With a couple taps on the touchscreen, the fox places his phone on the right side of his head and listens to the ringing noise, continuing to rush through the dark alleys as quick as he could. The dial tone soon came to an abrupt stop the instant he heard Thrandeer answering his phone.

“ _What is it, Matt? What seems to be the problem?_ ” Thrandeer asked on the other end of the line.

“Oh you know damn well what the fuck I'm talking about, Thrandeer!” Matt growled lowly.

“ _What do you mean?!_ ” Thrandeer replied with a similar tone, the fox's eyes narrowing upon hearing this. “ _And why am I hearing rain in the background? I thought I told you to stay put at the safe house once you gathered all of your-_ ”

“Who the hell do you think you are trying to order a hit on my own brother?!” Matt immediately interrupted with a growl. “Let alone, having me be the one to put my brother in the fucking ground!”

“ _I didn't give out any orders for you to kill someone!!_ ” Thrandeer shouted on the other end. “ _Let alone, your own brother!_ ”

“BULLSHIT!” Matt shouted. “Iizuka called me and told me the order you-”

“ _Iizuka?!_ ” Thrandeer exclaimed with angered surprise. “ _I should've know he'd be the one who gave you the order!_ ” the deer continued with a low growl. “ _Look, I don't know what the hell is going on, Matt, but whatever's going on in Zootopia regarding your brother, get_ _it_ _situated immediately. I've already made preparations for the chopper to extract you, with me acting as the co-pilot. It will arrive in the Northern Meadowlands in less than four hours from now_ ”, he claimed. “ _I will see you within the allotted time._ _And regarding Iizuka, I will deal with him once we return_ ”, with that, the deer hangs up on the other end, the fox quickly placing his phone back inside of his phone case.

“Shit…! How the hell did this happen?!” Matt thought inside of his head while continuing to sprint through the alley. “If Thrandeer didn't give out the order, then who did? And is it possible Iizuka might be-” the fox continued his train of thought, only for his ears to flicker at the sound of a deep voice that seemed to be coming from nearby. The fox rushed towards the source of the voice and notices another alley on the right, turning to the corner and notices a male fennec fox pacing back and forth behind a familiar looking van. The fox cocks a curious brow towards the fennec before narrowing his eyes slightly. “Wait, is that… Finnick?” the assassin wondered inside of his mind and continues to watch the fennec closely, seeing him continuously pacing back and forth with a smartphone placed on the right side of his head.

“Listen to me, Scott! I need help getting my boy back!” Finnick growled with a mixture of anger and distress, much to the curiosity of Matt himself. “I don't care what you do! I've already tried getting the fuzz to help me with the situation, but none of them wanted to listen!” the fennec continued and kept listening to the other mammal he was talking to on the phone. As for Matt himself, he began wondering what had happened that got the fennec so distressed in the first place. But his question would be answered a lot sooner than he expected. “Scott, please! Send some guys to the abandoned factory in the Rainforest District before those Neo-Shogunate pricks or whoever they are kill Nick!” the instant Matt heard those words escape Finnick's mouth, his eyes widen with shock.

“What?! The Neo-Shogunate armies captured Nick?!” Matt thought with a shocked look on his mostly concealed face, watching the fennec fox stopping on his tracks with a horrified expression on his face. But soon enough, he watches his eyes furrow furiously and his eyes narrowing just the same, a loud growl fleeing Finnick's mouth before he ends the call angrily.

“DAMMIT!” Finnick shouted and marches directly towards a nearby dumpster next to his fan and furiously punches it with his clenched left fist. “What the hell am I gonna do?! I'm running out of options!”, the fennec growled while continuing to ferociously punch the dumpster, not caring to the fact his knuckles started bleeding. Completely oblivious to the raging fennec, however, the assassin began rushing towards him rather swiftly.

“Where's Nick?!” Matt asked quickly, grabbing the fennec's attention to the point he stopped what he was doing and turns to face the taller vulpine. “Where is he?!” the fox asked for the second time after stopping when he was several feet away from the smaller fox. Finnick's eyes were wide when he first saw the other fox, but quickly narrows them with furrowed brows prior to growing at him.

“Why should I tell you?!” Finnick growled furiously towards the masked fox in front of him, his brown eyes directly gazing towards the other vulpine's jade green pair, a pair that he knew too well. “Why should I trust you Neo-Shogunate ninja, samurai, or whatever the fuck you are anyways?!” the fennec growled again, both of his fists clenching despite the left set of knuckles bleeding from punching the dumpster viciously.

“I have no affiliation with those bastards whatsoever”, Matt answered with a lowly growl, his eyes narrowing only the slightest, but with the strongest of seriousness in them. “Now let me repeat the question. Where's Nick?” the assassin asked calmly, albeit sternly nonetheless.

“Hell no! Why should I even bother to tell you in the first place?!” Finnick growled, much to Matt's annoyance. “You ninjas and samurais are just the same, carrying your swords and butchering other mammals like animal slayers”, he growled prior to walking towards the driver's side door. “Fuck this! I'll save Nick myself even if it costs me my-” that was all he could say before Matt suddenly grabs a hold of the fennec by the collar of his shirt, picking him up and swiftly pinning him to the back of the smaller fox's van.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY BROTHER?!” Matt growled viciously with a deathly snarl, despite his muzzle mask concealing much of his face. But the snarl was gone the moment after he said that, both his and Finnick's eyes widening simultaneously. Regardless of how shocked he was, the assassin kept his grip on the fennec and kept him pinned against the back of his van.

“Brother? Just who the fuck are you?!” Finnick growled with shock before attempting to reach for the fox's muzzle mask. Matt steps back a bit and lowers the fennec onto the ground before he could grab the mask. A heavy sigh escape the assassin's mouth as he reluctantly removes both his muzzle mask and pulls the hood back, revealing his face and long, partially tied back hair to the fennec. All the fury Finnick had was gone in an instant, the feeling being replaced with one of shock… and familiarity. “Wait a second… I know you”, the fennec said with a calm, shocked tone in his voice, his right hand-paw being raised and pointing directly towards the assassin. “Your N-Nick's little brother, Matt”.

“Yes…” Matt replied with a calm tone, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before exhaling through his nose. He reopens them moments later and looks at the fennec fox standing in front of him. “Look, I don't have time to explain how I'm still alive. But you have to trust me”, the fox began. “You have to tell me where my brother is so we can save him. I will handle the Neo-Shogunate armies wherever they're keeping him imprisoned at”, he explained.

“How?!” Finnick shouted, but the taller fox pulls out his katana and reveals the blade to him.

“They'll die by my sword”, Matt answered bluntly. “The same way I've slain nearly four hundred other mammals in Kawasabus over the past three and a half years”, the instant he said that made the fennec's eyes widen with unexpected shock.

“Nearly four hundred mammals?! Holy shit!” Finnick swore with shock, making Matt roll his eyes briefly before fixing themselves towards the fennec again.

“Yes, and I believe you may have heard this before, but in Kawasabus, I'm known as one of the deadliest assassins within the area”, Matt replied. “The assassin known as-”

“Battousai the Animal Slayer?” Finnick interrupted. “Yeah, I know. One of Roman's ninja buddies told us the assassin he mentioned looked a lot like Nick, which is why they're trying to interrogate him to see if there's any relation between him and you”, the fennec claimed.

“I see…” Matt replied before looking up at the van. He knew they needed to leave, and they needed to immediately “Alright, we gotta get going! Explain the rest of the details on the way”, the fox said suddenly and rushes towards the passenger's side door, the fennec rushing towards the driver's side himself.

Both mammals quickly enter the vehicle and buckle themselves inside, with Finnick placing the key into the ignition and placing the lever on drive. With a press of the gas pedal, the fennec starts driving back towards the facility where the incident occurred, all while Matt was putting his hood back on along with his muzzle mask.

“Alright, so what exactly happened?” Matt asked, his attention turned towards the fennec as he asked.

“We were delivering this crate to the abandoned factory in the Rainforest district shortly after I picked up Nick”, Finnick began. “He was dressed in a black suit and looked like he came out of-”

“The Downtown Zootopia Graveyard”, Matt interrupted calmly. “Believe, I was there when he was visiting the graves”.

“Only to find out you're a dead mammal?” Finnick asked. And the moment Matt heard that, he couldn't help but let a light chuckle escape his muzzle.

“Pretty much”, Matt answered with a slight hint of dark humor in his tone before shifting it towards a more serious one. “Anyways, what else happened?” the fox asked, noticing the fennec giving a calm, deep sigh before answering.

“Anyways, after I picked him up, we went to the said abandoned factory in the Rainforest district, only to find out that these businessmammals and Ninjas dressed in brown and black colors were occupying the place”, Finnick replied.

“The Neo-Yaminobu Ninja Clan”, Matt said upon hearing the mentioning of the ninja's colors. “I killed one of them roughly four to five hours ago”, he claimed, much to the surprise of Finnick. If he wasn't driving, he'd be looking directly at him with a shocked pair of eyes and a gaping mouth. However, with a calm sigh, he retains his focus on the road and continues driving to the factory.

“So that's who they were, huh? I didn't expect Roman to be one of them”, Finnick replied with with a scoff.

“Most likely they sent one of their own here to gather intel on me or the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate government's been busy for the past few years”, Matt theorized. “Not to mention that explains a thing or two about how he knew about me in the first place”.

“Probably”, Finnick replied before tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Shortly after we found out about Roman being one of them, Nick and I tried to escape from the damn place, but Roman and his goons got Nick right after I got in the van. I attempted to go get him, but Nick urged me to get help before one of them knocked him unconscious”, the fennec finished before following a heavy sigh. “I just hope he's alright”.

“Don't worry, Fin”, Matt began. “My brother may be a conmammal, and sometimes an idiot, but he's a lot stronger than he looks, that I can tell you”, he reassured as an attempt to comfort Nick's partner in crime. And right as they arrive to the road leading to the Rainforest District, one thought courses his mind. “Don't worry, Nick. I'm coming”.

* * *

 

_**The Abandoned Factory, Rainforest District** _

Pain. Pure, throbbing pain, was the only thing Nicholas Wilde was currently feeling at this moment, especially on the left side of his head. His eyes were shut tightly, and nothing could be seen except for the pitch black color of darkness. But light would slowly illuminate his eyes to the point where he could see, albeit dimly at that. The eyelids that closed his eyes slowly opened to the blurry environment, but the blurriness blinding his eyes soon clarified to where he could see his surroundings. And with how the environment was set, it was not pleasant.

The fox tries to move both of his arms and legs, but to no avail. He was being bound by a thick, brown colored rope that wrapped around his torso down towards his knees, with his body hanging upside down. His breathing became rapid, and his heart was pounding hard with fear. His eyes scout the surroundings and began searching for the occupants inside of the abandoned factory. And by the looks of it, none of the occupants, nor his captors were within the facility, or at least the area he was unwillingly occupying.

“Hello?! Is anybody there?!” Nick exclaimed loudly and continues to struggle out of his binds, even if they were in vain. He was about to shout again, but the sound of footsteps quickly silenced immediately. It was dark at first, but once the figure got close enough to the dimly lighted room, Nick's eyes widen with a shocking sense of familiarity. “Roman?!” the fox shouted with pure shock, looking directly towards the polar bear and noticing a sinister grin forming on his face.

“Yes”, Roman replied with his left hand-paw clutching his own right clenched fist and began popping his own knuckles. “I knew sooner or later I would find you, _fox_. It was only a matter of time”, he claimed and starts walking slowly towards the captured, bloodied and injured fox. “I must admit I was expecting to get you shortly after you sold that skunk butt rug, but you've managed to stray from me much longer than I had expected. And for that, I genuinely commend you” the polar bear added with a sarcastic, but honest tone of voice. However, he soon frowns directly at him before suddenly grabbing a hold of the fox by his legs. “However, fox! You luck has ran out, and your time has come!” the polar bear growled while raising his right hand-paw upward and unsheathing the claws bound inside of them.

“No! No! No! No! No!” Nick rapidly replied all while shaking his head frantically at the sight of his unsheathed claws. “Please! Don't kill me! I'll do anything!!” the fox pleaded fearfully with tears slowly starting to form at the bottom of his eyes. The polar bear could only grin sinisterly towards the fox with a pair of slightly widening eyes.

“Is that so?” Roman asked with a cocked brow, the fox quickly nodding fearfully the instant the polar bear asked. “Even if what you said was true, I know better than to trust a-” the polar bear was about to finish his biased remark right until he heard the sound of screeching tires along with the screams and cries of many of the other mammals downstairs. His attention quickly turns to the entrance of the room he and Nick occupied and look upon a male gray fox entering, the mammal wearing identical clothes to Roman.

“Roman, its that fennec from earlier! And he's brought the Battousai with him!” the Neo-Yaminobu gray fox shouted right before the panicked and pained cries of many others began filling the silence of the lower levels of the facility.

“Damn!” Roman swore under his breath before growling at the gray fox. “Well don't just stand there! KILL THEM!” he growled furiously right before the Neo-Yaminobu gray fox nods and sprints out of the huge room Roman and Nick occupied. “As for you, Nicholas”, the polar bear began, pausing momentarily and grabbing a hold of the rope binding him. “You're coming with me!” and with those words, the bear pulls the rope and snaps it off, allowing him to hold the bound fox by it and rush out of the room quickly.

Downstairs, Matt Wilde was currently in the middle of slaying many of the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas occupying the first floor of the facility, slaughtering the mammals with different attacks. Whether the sword sweeps were horizontal, vertical, diagonal, or a mixture of them, it didn't matter, because those who got in the Battousai's way were slain in an instant. Finnick was currently trying to find his friend on the first floor hoping he hadn't been killed by the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas occupying the abandoned facility. However, he couldn't help but look back and forth between his search for Nick and the deathly manslaughter he was committing. The way he was killing them was extremely efficient, and the attacks he made in order to slay his opponents were swift and clean. But as he looked at the taller fox, his widen almost immediately at something he didn't think about right up until now.

“Holy shit! Is it possible Matt may be involved in that Savanna Heights Incident?” Finnick thought within his mind and narrows his eyes slightly, as if he were focusing his vision directly towards Matt like adjusting the lens of a camera. And as he watches the fox slay the Neo-Yaminobu ninja gray fox, his eyes widen with shock and immediately came to a conclusion. “Yes, he's involved in that mess without a doubt, or one of them at the very least”, he concluded in his mind right before his ears flicker to the sound of footsteps coming from the second floor. He looks to his right and immediately notices a familiar polar bear carrying a familiar, rope bound fox with him. “Oh, Shit”, the fennec swore before quickly turning towards Matt. “Battousai! Roman's getting away!” those words grabbed Matt's attention and causes him to turn towards Finnick, then turn to the direction the fennec was pointing at.

As soon as the assassin saw this, the Battousai quickly flicks the blood off of his sword and rushes directly to Roman. However, it appears the polar bear expected this and soon began sprinting just as fast, keeping the fox at bay by ensuring he ran at a constant pace to the point the fox wouldn't catch up. Nick was practically dangling behind the polar bear like a large bag being carried over his shoulders, and he was constantly grunting in pain despite trying to free from himself from the ropes tightly binding him. It wouldn't be too long before Roman spots a moving train heading towards the Savanna Central/Downtown district, much to his convenient surprise. With a wide grin forming in his face, the polar bear sprints towards the train and jumps on top of the moving train. Although the fox was behind in terms of distance, his eyes narrow at the train before he, too, jumps on top of the moving train. He now knew the bear was running on borrowed time, and he was gonna make sure he died by his blade.

Roman kept sprinting towards the back of the train as quick as he could despite the high velocity the tracked based vehicle was moving through the Animalia Line rapidly. Although he kept quite the distance from the assassin, he knew he could keep up with the chase for much longer. Battle between the two and the death of one or the other was practically inevitable at this point. Who will live and who will die? Or will they kill each other in the process? Either way, the question would be answered soon, perhaps much sooner than the polar bear had hoped.

The polar bear soon reaches the back of the train and reaches a dead end, much to Roman's annoyance. A loud growl escapes his muzzle before quickly turning around, seeing the Battousai walking towards him to the back cart. The fox's right hand-paw gripped the bloodied sword by the handle tightly, and his jade green, ravenous eyes gaze directly towards Roman, along with the bound victim in his grasp.

“Its the end of the road for you, Roman! Now hand over the fox!” Matt demanded with a growl, moving his right foot-paw back and leaning his upper body forward in a battle ready stance. “Or die!” he exclaimed with a strongly fierce voice, only to watch the polar bear smirk deviously towards the fox and let several quick chuckles escape his mouth.

“Ah yes, Battousai the Animal Slayer”, Roman chuckled at the fox and tightens his hold on the rope binding Nick Wilde. “I knew you were the deadliest assassin in all of Kawasabus. But I must admit, I find it ironic that you of all assassins standing at the mercy of the Neo-Yaminobu”, the polar bear continued with an intimidating tone of voice, but Matt wasn't intimidated by the polar bear whatsoever.

The assassin was angry, no, _**fuming**_ at the fact Roman had captured his brother along with putting his identity at risk. The fox had to find a way to kill his opponent without revealing his identity to his brother. Roman quickly noticed the assassin wasn't gonna stand down, and he knew it was time to take measures up another level. He moves the hand-paw holding the rope towards the back, much to Nick's dismay, the bound conmammal dangling almost rapidly thanks to the moving train. He tried to struggle as hard as he could to get his arms loose, but to no avail. Roman's attention turns to face the fox behind him and grins deviously towards him before shifting his gaze back to the assassin. The Battousai, on the other hand, narrows his eyes with a glare that could pierce even the fiercest of opponents.

“This is your last warning, pal! Hand over the fox!” Matt growled fiercely, clutching the handle of his sword tightly with both hand-paws and preparing to fight. “Or DIE!”

“Ha! You're more than welcome to try and kill me, Battousai! Just know that if you do, Nicky here will be the one paying for the consequences of your actions!” Roman growled with a sinister grin on his muzzle, with Nick's eyes widening with shock the instant he heard those words. The assassin, on the other hand, retains his stance and lets a scoff leave his mouth.

“That's unlikely to happen”, Matt replied with an unusually calm, menacing tone in his voice, the polar bear cocking a confused brow at the assassin. What did the fox have planned? And what was he about to do. he wondered. But whatever it was, he had no intention of letting the Battousai have his way, and with one simple move, that was all he needed.

“We'll see about that”, and with those words coming out of Roman's mouth, the polar bear releases his grip on the rope, much to Matt's surprise and Nick's horror. Speaking of which, the bound fox screams loudly for his life and began wiggling frantically, trying to get out of his binds as quick as he could even if it was no use. He didn't care if it was fruitless, had to break free from his binds before his life came to an abrupt end.

With a draw of a sword, Roman immediately sprints towards the fox with a predatory growl escaping his mouth. But the sprinting didn't last for much longer, since the polar bear suddenly jumps right at the vulpine with his sword raised. But as he was about to strike the fox, Matt suddenly 'disappears' from the spot he once occupied, much to his opponent's confusion. His rounded ears perk a bit and suddenly turns around with a pair of wide eyes, his optical orbs now gazing at the assassin pulling the thick rope towards himself.

“What in the hell?” Roman exclaimed within his mind right as the assassin manages to pull Nick up on top of the train, using the bloodied sword to cut the ropes binding its prisoner. “How was he able to move from here to the back of the train within an instant. Let alone grab the moving rope binding Nicholas?!” the polar bear thought with an audible growl escaping his mouth. However, the assassin turns to face his opponent while Nick drops to the ground and secures himself by grabbing the right side railings on top of the train.

“Nononononono! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!” Nick exclaimed while frantically shaking his head despite managing to secure himself with his grip on the short train railings. Although secure, the rest of his body was dangling towards the opposite direction where the high velocity train was heading. He slowly pulls himself along the railing right as the Battousai began marching slowly at the polar bear's direction.

Roman, while still surprised at the speed of the Battousai himself, soon snaps out of his trance and began marching directly towards the assassin. With his sword clutched in the grip of his right hand-paw, he quickly starts sprinting towards the fox with great speed. Matt's eyes narrow slightly at his opponent before he, too, sprints at the Neo-Yaminobu ninja hastily. Their swords quickly meet with a violent ' _ **clank**_ ' sound and thus the battle between the two assassins begin.

Their swords constantly clashed with one another violently with blow after blow. And despite their noticeable difference in size, their swordsman skill were practically equal in various ways. While Roman may have the power behind his attacks, Matt compensated with sharp speed and defense. Those who saw the fight, whether they were on the small, glass observation decks on top of the train or even in buildings above the tracks, stare at the battle with shocked eyes. A few lucky enough to witness such a battle quickly grab their phones and recorded what they could.

As the fight between the two continue to progress, much to the mixed excitement and fear between a few of those lucky enough to witness the battle, Nick manages to pull himself back onto the roof of the moving train while retaining a tight grip on the railing. His eyes remain focused on the battle several meters away from him, and they never move away even after he began standing up on top of the train. The wind was blowing on his wet clothes, but he didn't care. All he cared about was getting the hell off of this train, and away from the two assassins fighting. His body, however, refused to move not necessarily out of fear… but awe?

“I don't get it…” Nick thought inside of his mind while watching the Battousai performing a quick diagonal sword sweep, managing to slash the polar bear with the tip of his blade. Although the assassin managed to injure the polar bear from the strong attack and even knock him back a few steps, Roman ignores the pain and starts dashing towards Matt. “He's smaller than Roman, yet he's able to hold his own without any-” and that's when something hits his mind. “Wait! That's not possible! Could he be…” the fox paused his train of thought right as his eyes widen a bit more upon the realization of who he was. “He is! He's Battousai the Animal Slayer! He's the one behind the bloody attack at the Savanna Heights Apartment Complex”, the fox thought with shock all while watching the assassin and Roman continuing to clash blades at one another.

Unbeknownst to them, Finnick was currently driving his van throughout Savanna Central, having entered the town moments ago and currently following the train as much as he could. He managed to escape the seemingly abandoned facility roughly several minutes ago with minor injuries around the torso and facial regions. As of right now, the fennec continues to follow the train as swiftly as he could, regardless of whether or not he could see the battle. He needed to get Nick back, and he needed to get him back alive. With the help of Matt, his partner in crime might get out of this mess alive.

“Hang in there, bro! I'm coming for ya”, Finnick thought within his mind whilst trying to keep his eyes on the train and on the wet roads.

Back on the train, the sound of blades clashing against one another with loud, swift ' _ **clink**_ ' noises constantly filling the air. Although Roman had received an injury from the fox, albeit a minor one, both swordsmen were practically fighting against one another in a draw. They were, for the most part, even with one another despite their difference in size. It didn't matter of some of the smaller mammals were watching from inside of the glass observation rooms on top of the trains, that didn't stop the two assassins from fighting at all. They continued to fight as if they were battling on the streets of Kawasabus.

But it didn't take long for the tides to turn in Roman's favor. Because with a ferocious knee kick to the stomach, the polar bear knocks the Battousai onto the next train car in front of him, the fox landing on the hard, smooth surface painfully on his back. Painful grunts escape the assassin's muzzle as he tries getting back onto his feet-paws, but with a foot-paw knocking the fox back onto the ground and holding him by it, Roman traps the fox and now had the Battousai at his mercy.

“I have to admit this was one of my best fights I had in years, even if it was short”, Roman began with a smirk forming on his face. Unaware to the two assassins, Nick's eyes widen out of an instinct he can't put his finger on, and growls soon began escaping his mouth. “However…” he paused only briefly enough to replace the smirk with a stern frown, his foot-paw also pressing harder against the assassin's muscular built body. “this ends now… with your DEA- OW!” he was about to finish, right until he felt a series of sharp, pointy objects painfully pierce his left shoulder following a loud, painful cry. His gaze shifts towards his left and discovers Nick having sunk his teeth inside of Roman's shoulder. “Get off me, you MUTT!” and shortly after those words escaped Roman's mouth did the polar bear grab the conmammal and throw him onto hard, flat surface of the train. Nick lets out a pained cry upon hitting the surface painfully, much to the point where his nose broke along with a few ribs.

With the attention now focused on the conmammal, Roman marches towards the fallen fox and began kicking him hard enough to cause serious injury. Matt recovers from the attack and pants heavily after having nearly been squashed to death by the Neo-Yaminobu ninja almost literally. But as he was panting, his eyes shoot wide open upon seeing the polar bear striking Nick repetitively with his foot-paw. A deathly snarl began escaping the fox's muzzle, and his right hand-paw clutches the hilt of his sword tightly. He's had enough of this asshole, and he's fought him long enough.

“I've had enough of you, Nicholas Wilde!” Roman growled furiously as he kept kicking the conmammal harder, causing Nick to start coughing up a good portion of his blood from the polar bear's actions. His kicking ceases moments later and soon raises his own sword, the tip of the katana pointing directly towards Nick's skull. “Its time I put you in your god damn-” that was all Roman could muster right before the assassin's blade slashes through his left shoulder, trailing down from the left shoulder down towards his right oblique. Blood began spraying onto the roof of the train car along with some of the tracks and onto much of Nick's body, much to his unsurprising shock.

The severed body of the dead polar bear collapses onto the rooftop of the moving train car, both of the halves rolling off of the train much to the shock of the passengers who witnessed such a sight. But in all honestly, Matt didn't care about that one bit. All he cared about right now was the condition of his brother, and speaking of his brother, Nick looked like he was on the verge of losing consciousness. The assassin rushes to him and kneels in front of the twenty five year old fox, the Battousai gently wrapping his left arm under Nick's bruised head and looking down at his brother's gradually narrowing eyes.

Nick's eyes, despite them slowly fading into a sense of unconsciousness, looks back up to the assassin's jade green eyes, the same eyes that now glisten with pure innocence. Those eyes looked innocent enough to the point they bore a familiar sense in them. Did he know him? Was he actually his brother like Roman claimed? Or was it all a coincidence, and an extremely odd one at that? Those questions constantly flowed in his mind like water coursing an endless river. But his eyes soon close and his vision fades to black.

With his brother now unconscious, Matt gently rests his older brother's head on his left thigh and quickly grabs a rag from his right cargo pocket, using it to clean the blood off the blade with one, quickly thorough swipe. Now that the blade was clean, the assassin sheaths his sword and places the cloth back into the same pocket before gently lifting his unconscious brother enough to place him over his shoulder securely. The train soon started slowing down enough to where Matt can survey the surrounding area a bit more clearly. And that was more than enough for him to spot a familiar van pulling up into a nearby alleyway.

As the train began slowing down much more quickly, the assassin jumps off the train and immediately sprints down the staircase, not caring if he was passing by a large number of mammals as he fled the scene. His ears perk at the sudden initiation of sudden conversations happening behind him, but again, he didn't care about them. All he cared about right now was to get his brother back to Finnick and get him medical attention.

Fortunately for Matt, it didn't take him relatively too long to reach Finnick in the alleyway he parked in, which was roughly a good few blocks away from the train station he got off of. Quickly turning into the alleyway, Matt spots the van parked nearly thirty feet away from the alleyway entrance, with Finnick leaning back against the front rims of the van. But he didn't stay at his van for much longer, because the instant his eyes gaze at Matt carrying his unconscious, injured brother, the fennec's eyes widen and immediately darts towards the two.

“Oh shit! Nicky!” Finnick yelled with shock in his voice right before making a stop just in front of the assassin. “What happened? Is he alright?!”

“He's alive”, Matt replied calmly, but with a reassuring tone added to the mix. “However, he took a nasty beating from Roman right after he bit the guy's shoulder”, the fox continued right before walking towards Finnick's van, with the fennec himself following behind.

“And Roman?” Finnick asked with a slight growl, his hand-paws clenching into fists upon mentioning that bastard's name.

“Dead”, Matt bluntly replied right before getting to the passenger's side and pulling the door open. “Look, I need you to get my brother to the hospital right away and make sure he isn't suffering from any internal bleeding”, the assassin continued while gently placing Nick on the front passenger's seat, buckling him in securely enough to where he won't fall to the side. “I doubt his injuries are that severe, but I still think its best to get him checked out-”

“Just to be on the safe side? I get where you're going at”, Finnick interrupted. “Don't worry, buddy. I['ll take him to the hospital right away. You focus on whatever you need to do in order to avoid the fuzz”, and with those words, the fennec starts the ignition to his van and closes the driver's side door, the assassin shutting the passenger's side before watching the fennec drive out of the alley and turning to the right.

Now that the fennec was gone, it was time for the fox to return to the safe house and gather his things. With the rain continuing to pour heavily, the assassin walks hastily away from the area as fast as he could. His ears shot up suddenly upon catching a hardly recognizable sound. At first, it was faint since heavy chatter from the large numbers of mammals filled much of the silence. But as he kept on walking away from the scene, the noise got progressively louder. As soon as the sound was within a few blocks, he immediately recognized it as the sound of wailing police sirens, and not only were they coming from all over the area, but they sounded like they were heading towards his direction. He was about to diagonally cross the four way junction and enter another dark alley, but nearly a dozen large sized police cruisers suddenly swarm in on him and encircle around the heart of the four way road, thus trapping the fox in the middle of it.

Regardless of the current situation he was in, the fox's eyes gaze directly at the officers stepping out of the vehicles. Their hand-paws grab their holstered handguns and aim them directly at the assassin, but the fox never raised his hand-paws. Instead, his right hand-paw prepared to reach for his blade, but a repetitive sound coming from the distant skies. It was hardly noticeable at first, but as the sound grew louder, the fox recognized the quickly repetitive ' _ **chakk-chackk-chak-chak, chak-a-chak-akk-chk-chk-chk**_ ' sound as that of a helicopter.

His head tilts upward in the same direction his eyes shift their attention towards. And flying directly towards him was none other than a police issued helicopter, which was a cerulean blue color with black stripes running horizontally on the sides. On those black stripes bore 'POLICE' written in bold, yellow letters. From what the fox can see, two occupants currently occupy the helicopter as it is, one of them being a brown and white timber wolf, and the other being a cape buffalo. Both males were dressed in short sleeved police uniforms, yet the pilot wore a white helmet bearing a microphone attached to the right side of the helmet. The buffalo, on the other hand, had a megaphone tightly gripped on his left hand-paw and was currently walking towards the left side of the chopper.

With the chopper descending somewhat towards the assassin's direction, the buffalo grips on the handle just above the door with his right hand-paw. His left foot-paw steps onto the corresponding landing skid before raising the megaphone towards his mouth. With the press of the trigger, eight words leave the officers mouth.

“Battousai the Animal Slayer, you are under arrest!”


	18. Escape from Zootopia

_ **Escape from Zootopia** _

  


All was silent within Tomoe's residence after the incident with Enishi had occurred roughly nearly two and a half hours ago. And although the air wasn't as tense as it was when it happened, the incident was still fresh on their minds. In Jenny's case, however, the rabbit had took the incident the hardest, both emotionally and physically.

The rabbit herself was currently sitting on the futon she and Matt slept on during their stay at Tomoe's residence. Roughly two hours ago, sometime after her wounds were tended to by Tomoe, the bunny had taken an hour long shower as an attempt to relax the tense muscles on her body along with the chance to clear her mind. It helped to some extent, but her mind was still in dismay, albeit not as badly as it was when she got injured by Enishi. Now sporting a crimson colored tank top and a pair of black short nylon shorts with white stripes on the side, the bunny grabs the remote from the coffee table and turns the TV on.

As the bunny began to browse through the channels, Tomoe enters the house from the side entrance of the two story home. With a basket carrying some of the crops, mostly daikon radishes and various spice plants, the vixen places the wool container onto the table and began sorting out the home grown vegetation. However, she turns towards the rabbit and looks at her with a concerned, almost motherly look on her face.

“How's your face?” Tomoe asked, concerned about the rabbit's well being.

“Fine, thanks…” Jenny replied with a soft tone of voice, her eyes half-lidded and continuing to browse through the TV channels nonchalantly. She was about to turn the TV off after hitting the ZNN news channel when a certain headline caught her eyes.

**Deadly Killer Strikes Zootopia!**

Above the said headline were two reporters, one of them being a female snow leopard and the other being a male moose, were sitting in two red chairs in front of an image of Zootopia itself. The female was identified as Fabienne Growly, the snow leopard who bore teal-green colored eyes along with a maroon colored nose. Her attire consisted of a black business suit with a peach toned shirt underneath, with autumn leave designs being imprinted on the said shirt. The male, on the other hand, was identified as Peter Moosebridge, a moose whose fur was a mixture between brown and light brown. While his antlers shared the same color as the light brown portions of his fur, his eyes said otherwise, as his pupils were hazel colored. His clothing consisted of a black business suit with a light red tinted shirt underneath, with a red/dark red stripped tie being attached on the collar of his shirt.

“ _Good Afternoon, Zootopia! My name is Peter Moosebridge, here with Fabienne Growly, bringing you the latest Breaking News_ ”, Peter spoke towards the viewers before turning his head towards the snow leopard on his right. “ _Fabienne_ ”.

“ _Just a few minutes ago_ _, we've received_ _a large number of_ _reports_ _regarding a_ _deadly incident_ _that happened on_ _the top of a moving train between both a fox and a large polar bear._ _All the reports claimed_ _both of the assailants_ _were_ _carrying two swords each in their possession_ _during the incident_ _, one being a Katana and the other a Wakizashi_ ”, Fabienne began, her voice bearing an accent much identical to an English-born mammal, much like the bunny herself. It looked as if the snow leopard was about to continue speaking, but suddenly stops herself and places her right hand-paw onto the corresponding ear, seemingly an ear piece. “ _This just in, we've received footage regarding_ _the fight on top of the Zootopia's Inner Loop line_ _today. What you are about to see is highly graphic_ _and is not recommended for younger_ _audiences. Viewer's discretion is strongly advised_ ”, and with that, the footage of the fight between the Battousai and Roman began to play from a train rider's point of view.

The camera was filmed from several feet behind the Battousai himself, who suddenly jumped towards the polar bear and severs him in half from the left shoulder to his right oblique. The deathly wound was nearly swift, and the blood began spraying about the top of the moving train. Background screaming and swearing quickly filled the silence inside the train, some of them frightened at the sight, others merely shocked at the unexpected outcome. But the footage soon came to an end and the two news anchors on the TV.

“ _Well…_ _I did not expect that one_ ”, Peter said calmly, regardless of how uncomfortable he currently felt regarding the bloody video. Jenny's eyes were practically wide after witnessing the deathly killing, especially with how explicitly the footage was depicted on live TV.

“Matt…” Jenny uttered softly, but was apparently loud enough for Tomoe's left ear to perk at her direction. The vixen's eyes shift their attention towards the bunny and what was being depicted on TV. And the news feed was enough to stop the vulpine from what she was doing and walk over to where Jenny currently sat. She sits next to the rabbit and began watching the news report with the bunny, right as the moose places his right hand-paw onto his corresponding ear, his eyes glaring towards the same direction to focus whatever the feed was telling him through his earpiece.

“ _Um, this just in, the police have just surrounded the fox at_ _a_ _four way junction_ _near the Trip St Train Station in the Downtown Area. One of our reporters is live at the scene via helicopter as we speak_ ”, Peter claimed. “ _Roger_ ” right after saying his name, the camera started displaying Roger on the top left portion of the screen, apparently a male jack rabbit bearing tan and cream fur on his body. The buck seemed to be somewhere within his mid to late twenties, yet his facial features resembled that of a twenty year old. But Jenny's eyes were not fixed upon the male rabbit on the top left of the TV. Both her and Tomoe's eyes were fixed upon what most of the TV displayed.

Apparently, the camera was filming the entire scene from a high angled view, zooming in on nearly a dozen squad cars encircling the heart of the four way junction. Many police officers had their dart guns aimed at the figure standing in the middle of the junction itself, one that was all too familiar to both the rabbit and the vixen watching the news feed. Both of the women gasped in shock from the sight, because standing at the very center of the junction was none other than their beloved fox.

Jenny's fox.

“MATT!” Jenny shrieked frantically to the point she began darting towards the HDTV. Tomoe, however, manages to grab the rabbit by wrapping her arms around the bunny's waist.

“Jenny! JENNY!” Tomoe yelled as an attempt to grab the bunny's attention, but the rabbit continues trying to run towards the TV frantically as if Matt was physically within her reach. “Jenny! Calm down!” she continued as best as she could. And although she stopped the rabbit, she didn't expect her to turn directly at the vixen with a deathly glare.

“Calm down?! How the bloody hell can I calm down when Matt's IN TROUBLE?!”, Jenny shouted from the top of her lungs, her eyes becoming glossy with fresh tears forming in them. There was so much more she wanted to say to the vixen, but to no avail. Tears began streaming down her face and heavy sobs began to escape her mouth. Her eyes were wide open, and she was shaking her head vigorously.

Seeing the bunny acting like this disheartened the vixen greatly, especially when it came to the matters of the rabbit's new lover, Matt. She couldn't blame her, however, since Enishi had revealed his intentions to kill Matt with the help of other Neo-Shogunate operatives. But she also knew for a fact Matt wasn't the type of fox to go down without a fight, especially since he has a better reason to fight. With this in mind, the vixen cups the rabbit's cheeks with her hand-paws and tilts Jenny's head upwards, making the rabbit face her own.

“Jenny, I understand why you feel this way, and I know for a fact what the news is reporting isn't helping”, Tomoe began, her eyes slightly narrowing with a calm, confident fire burning in them. “However, Matt isn't the type of fox who would go down without a fight… especially now he has a reason to continue fighting”, the vixen continued, closing her eyes before letting a soft, barely noticeable smile form on her muzzle. “Besides, there's no way Matt's gonna lose the very thing that keeps his bunny happy, right?” she finished with a soothing tone. Jenny's eyes gaze at the vixen's face for a good moment before giving her a nod and burying her face into her shoulder. Tomoe's arms wrap around the bunny's waist right before resting her head on top of hers soothingly.

“Matt… please don't die…” Jenny thought inside of her mind and continues to sob softly onto the vixen's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the vixen's neck gently. All she can do for now was hope for the best, hope that Matt would return safely home.

Hope that her fox would return home safely to his bunny.

* * *

 

_**Savanna Central/Downtown District, Zootopia** _

Numerous police cruisers surround the four way street within Savanna Central, and the flashing of red and blue lights occupy lighten the streets brightly. Nearly over a dozen police officers of various species had their dart guns aiming towards a lone, muscular vulpine standing at the center of the four way street. Although the amount of cops that arrived on the scene were decently high and the arrival time was fairly quick, their presence around the Battousai was not surprising at all. Hell, for all he cared, Matt already knew someone must've called the cops during the battle between him and Roman only minutes before. The fox's furrowed, narrowed eyes gaze directly at the police officers aiming their dart guns at him. His attention soon looks upward towards the helicopter in the skies above and takes a brief glimpse at the cape buffalo standing inside the chopper.

Not too long ago, Bogo along with many other officers within the Savanna Central District had received several phone calls regarding a fight happening on top of the Zootopia Inner Loop Line train. They were skeptical about it at first, never having heard of any fighting on the top of a train, nor expecting something like that for that matter. But when the police heard the cries of many mammals during the last few calls, particularly when they spotted Roman's blood dripping down the sides of the train, that's when they knew something needed to be done. Those last calls were the reason why many police officers were currently where they were now.

Regardless of the number of cops arriving on the scene, the assassin shifts his attention away from the chopper and focuses on his surroundings, with the left hand-paw clutching the sheath of his katana. They remain focused on the officers holding their dart guns directly at him, which were ready to fire if the vulpine made a single movement. Somehow, he had to flee from the cops, and fast, lest he be incarcerated or perhaps executed for his bloody deeds. By far, no opening for escape could be found… or was there?

Alas, he found an alleyway leading directly towards the direction where Tundratown lies, the alley being just thirty meters diagonally to his left. With his eyes focused on the alley, he knew what he had to do! But first thing's first, the assassin must avoid the officers that now encircle around him roughly ten meters from his position. Speaking of which, one of the officers, a bob cat in particular, began approaching the assassin with his dart gun raised directly at the fox's direction.

“Sir, you are under arrest! Get on the ground or we will have no choice but open fire!” the bobcat officer growled furiously as he kept approaching the male quickly, yet soon began to encircle around the male swiftly. Matt's eyes gaze directly at the bobcat with a deadly glare, one that was apparently enough to send terrifying shivers down his spine, even if the officer didn't show it. But one thing that did show was the growing irritation on his face when Matt remained where he stood, nor complying with the officer's orders. “I said get on the ground! NOW!” he shouted demandingly while simultaneously gesturing his gun to the ground and then back up to the fox. However, the fox merely closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“I don't have time to deal with your bullshit, officer”, Matt replied with a calmly monotone voice, his eyes reopening right after he said those words to the police officer. “I'm in a real big hurry to get out of here. So either step aside and let me through”, the fox paused for a moment and draws his katana from its sheath. “Or, I will be left with no choice but to slay every single one of you in order to get through. I'll leave that decision up to you”, he finished with a calmly menacing tone, his eyes narrowing directly at the bobcat several meters away from him.

All of the officers were completely dumbstruck by what the fox had said to the bobcat, but the one who took it the worst was the officer Matt spoke directly towards. The officer could no longer hide the fear, his body literally starting to shake noticeably, and his breaths quickening with each passing second. Hell, he was starting to struggle keeping the gun aimed towards the fox, which was already shaking similarly to how his body shook. No, he can't keep shaking like this, he must do something! With a growl leaving his mouth, the bobcat furrows his brows at the assassin and aims his gun directly at him.

“Get down on the ground, NOW! Or else I'll be forced to open fire!” the officer screamed in fury following an aggressive growl coming from the bobcat himself, but the fox would not comply, much to the officer's annoyance. With his eyes furrowed following an angered growl, the bobcat suddenly fires the dart at the fox with the press of a finger. But the assassin did something none of the officers expected him to: the Battousai had caught the dart with his left index and middle fingers like it was nothing. “The hell?!" the officer exclaimed with a mixture of shock because of Matt's actions, and terror at the suspect's capabilities.

“Oh, bad choice, officer”, Matt said to the bobcat while slowly, simultaneously shaking his his head. “Bad choice”, and with those words, the fox suddenly darts towards the officer much to the bobcat's surprise. He was about to shoot another round, but the assassin's blade severing right through his neck sought an end to that.

With the bobcat beheaded, all officers gasp with shock and terror right before gazing at the direction of the fox. Their eyes furrowed, muzzles snarled, and the various teeth of prey and fangs of predators were shown. Like the previous officer, all of them suddenly start shooting multiple dart rounds directly at the assassin, expecting at least some of them to hit the fox's body. However, none of them did thanks to Matt quickly hacking them with swift slashes of his blade, much to the officers' surprise.

“The hell?!” one officer, particularly a lion, exclaimed with shock right as the assassin sheaths his katana and gets into his battojutsu stance. The other officers were about to open fire again, but much to their shock, no rounds had fired. Their clips had been completely emptied! The officers were about to press the button to release the magazines from their weapons, but one swift, deathly horizontal slash brought a quick end to that.

Blood suddenly started spraying the four way streets like paint being splattered in a Jackson Pollock painting, much to the terrified shock of the other two officers in the chopper. But the one who took this deathly tragedy the hardest would be Bogo, who literally had just lost his comrades at the hand-paws of this fox. He slams the door to the chopper and was about to punch a hole through it, but stops himself and rests the unclenching fist to his side. The buffalo shakes his head and marches to his co-pilot seat, shaking his head a few times with a mixture of shock, grief, and anger.

“Dispatch, this is Officer Wolfoski! Battousai the Animal Slayer's killed out first responders on the ground level, and now he's currently fleeing to the northeast!” the helicopter pilot, Officer Wolfoski exclaimed at the headset attached to the helmet, having pressed the button for Precinct one shortly before Bogo took a seat on the radio. Now his eyes were fixed upon the assassin, who immediately starts sprinting towards the alleyway at a speed the wolf couldn't comprehend. “Send ground and sky level backup right away! Bogo and I are about to pursue him as we speak!”

“ _Roger that, Wolfoski! Sending backup now_!” after those words fled the dispatch officer's mouth on the other end of the line, the wolf pulls the handle upward and ascends to the skies above. Their sights were on one mammal: Battousai the Animal Slayer.

Speaking of the Battousai, Matt was currently sprinting through the alleyway he spotted a minute ago with a speed not many could comprehend. He had no intention of staying there any longer, especially right after he'd slain the officers back at the junction. Although he heard the whirling rotors of the helicopter behind him, he didn't care. His mind was focused on fleeing the scene as fast as he could, no matter the cost.

He spots a Y-shaped junction in the alley and turns to the one on the left. Turning his head back for a moment, he spots the same chopper following him since the slayings. However, he reverts his attention back to the front and continues sprinting along the pathway he tool. He was about to take a right at the end of the pathway when he spotted a ladder fifteen meters on the left wall. With that in sight, the fox rushes to the metal latter and jumps onto the latter, quickly climbing onto it as fast as he could in order to avoid any more of the local authorities, more or less killing them as well.

It didn't take him long to get to the top of the ten story building thanks to his haste movements. He climbs onto the roof and soon starts printing directly towards the other buildings, jumping from one roof to another of the same or similar story height. But after jumping onto the third building did the fox notice several Ishin-Rivendell along with several Ishin-Orimaku clan members entering the roof. The Neo-Shogunate loyalists immediately draw their blades and rush towards the assassin, yet the Battousai quickly dispatches them within a matter of seconds.

As for the chopper, Officers Wolfoski and Bogo keep a watchful eye on the assassin at large. Both of them in pure shock with how the assassin was able to kill them within a matter of seconds. It was a terrifying sight to say the least, and both officers were starting to tremble, even if Bogo didn't show his terrified expression. Speaking of which, Bogo hovers his thumb over the button with the label 'fire' being attached just under it. He uses the other hand-paw and presses the button on the right side of his head.

“Dispatch, this is officer Bogo speaking. Permission to fire?” Bogo asked with a frown on his face.

“ _Permission granted, Bogo. Fire at will_ ”, the dispatch officer replied on the other end of the line right before the buffalo releases the button and cuts the link.

Now that permission being granted towards the two, Bogo moves the handle operating the gun and aims it towards the assassin, who started running off right after slaughtering the mammals on the roof (unaware to the officers they were actually Neo-Shogunate forces). The digital sight encircles around the fox on the screen before flashing rapidly the instant it locked onto its target. With the sight locked onto him, Bogo presses the button and multiple rounds began firing rapidly from the armament subsystems attached to the chopper. Both officers in the chopper expected them to strike the fox down. But much to their surprise, not a single one struck him down. None of them hit the fox except for the roof and the dead corpses of the other mammals he's killed. Both mammals swore under their breaths right before Wolfoski notices the assassin rushing away from the roof.

“Damn! He's getting away!” Officer Wolfoski growled with a furious tone right before flying in the same direction the Battousai was heading towards. Bogo kept his thumb pressed down on the button and continues firing bullets at the assassin. But not a single one hit the fox, thanks to how unusually fast he was sprinting. “How the hell is a fox able to run that fast?!”

“I don't know, Wolfoski!” Bogo claimed before narrowing his eyes at the fleeing suspect. “But whatever the reason, something tells me it has something to do with that sword technique Detective Tatsumi claimed he used”, the buffalo thought inside of his head while remaining focused on trying to get the fox with whatever ammunition they had left. Unfortunately, a loud beeping noise began going off much to the officers' surprise, the buffalo turning towards the screen on his left and grunting at the notification flashing on it. “Damn…! We're out of ammo”, he swore while simultaneously slamming his left, clenched fist on the seat.

“Great…” Officer Wolfoski growled under his breath. “We don't have a choice. We have to bail”, the officer continued, causing Bogo to quickly shift his attention towards the wolf sitting next to him. “At least long enough until we've restocked enough ammunition to take him down”, the wolf finished before shaking his head with shock. As much as they wanted to continue their pursuit, they literally needed to restock their ammunition or else it'll be unlikely they'll be able to kill him, let alone track him down.

While the chopper was leaving the area, the assassin himself was currently sprinting through the rooftops of various buildings, jumping from the roof of one building after another. He turns back towards the chopper and discovers them fleeing the scene, much to his convenience. But for how long, he wasn't sure. But so long as they stay off his ass long enough, he might just make it out of here without any further distractions.

The fox spots another ladder leading down into the alleyway, the alley happening to lead towards the direction where the Peak St Train Station was, the same station he used to get to Tundratown. Thank god he spotted this, or otherwise it would've taken him much longer to avoid the cops. With quick haste, the assassin climbs down the latter and darts towards the direction where the Peak St Train Station.

The sound of sirens continue to fill the silence surrounding the air, but that didn't stop the assassin from hauling ass. His eyes remained focused on what was in front of him, and that was the pathway leading directly towards the direction where the train station was located. His pointy ears, however, suddenly perk at the sound of footsteps coming from behind him… and in front of him? He turns his head back for a moment and soon discovers several large police officers, predator and prey alike, began chasing him hastily. They were fast, but fortunately Matt had the upper hand when it came to speed.

He turns his head towards the front again and prepared to increase the pace of his sprinting. But the sight of several Neo-Shogunate forces, both Ishin-Orimaku and Ishin-Rivendell alike, prevented him from quickening his pace. Instead, he grips his sword tightly and narrows his eyes towards the opposing forces. The Neo-Shogunate forces quickly draw their blades and start rushing towards the assassin, with the police drawing their dart guns and preparing to fire.

“Stop! In the name of the-” one officer, a brown, black, and white furred wolf, was about to say, but was interrupted when the assassin suddenly slays the Neo-Shogunate forces within a mere couple of seconds. Both he and his fellow officers stop on their tracks right as the assassin turns directly towards their direction. His blade was raised, and stained with the fresh blood of its victims.

“I don't have time to deal with your bullshit, officers”, Matt growled at the cops he now stared at. “Either go back the way you've came! Or die!” the fox warned with a sinister growl.

“We have no intention of leaving, murderer! Now drop your weapon or we'll have no choice but to use lethal force!” an officer, particularly a snow leopard, growled.

“Fine! If that's how you want it, then I'll let my blade do the talking!” and with those words fleeing Matt's mouth, the fox darts directly towards the cops the exact moment they simultaneously shoot darts directly at the assassin. But despite their best efforts, not a single one hits the fox due to him dodging them swiftly. And before they knew it, the assassin slays the officers at the scene right before the fox flees the area with haste.

Although the sounds of sirens continue to wail within the Savanna Central District, the fox continues to flee the scene as fast as he could. He remains in the darkness of the alley in order to avoid being spotted by the police any further, already having killed way more than a dozen officers as it was. Rushing through alley after alley with great haste, the fox keeps as low of a profile as he could despite the amount of bloodshed he's already caused.

* * *

 

_**Savanna Central Hospital, over fifteen minutes ago** _

The sound of chatter amongst fellow doctors and guests, the rolling of stretchers heading from one place to another, even the occasional medical equipment going off filled the silence of the Hospital. Savanna Central Hospital was a usually busy facility within the district, and today was no different, except for the fact it was gonna get much busier within the coroner's division before the day's end. But for now, many guests and some of the patients were currently waiting inside the lobby while waiting to hear the conditions of their injured friends and/or loved ones. Finnick was one of the guests waiting in the lobby, and he was waiting to hear about the condition of his partner in crime, Nick.

Finnick had arrived to the hospital roughly a few minutes ago and had already took Nick to the ER immediately after setting foot into the room. And although he knew his injuries were life threatening, he also knew they had to be treated before they got any worse. And now, he continues to remain seated in the lobby in a chair large enough to suit his size, albeit anxiously at that.

Ten minutes passed during the wait, but to the fennec, it felt like two hours for all he cared. Anxiousness soon mixed in with boredom, and the mixture soon grew to nervous impatience. Soft, guttural growls began to escape his mouth almost audibly.

“What the hell was taking the docs so long to treat Nick?” that thought was constantly coursing Finnick's mind as he began looking around the lobby with his furrowed eyes. He steps out of his seat and began walking towards the group of doctors near the receptionist desk… or that would've been the case if something on TV hadn't caught his eye. “The hell?” the fennec asked within his mind before slightly squinting towards the HDTV attached to the wall right across from him.

On the screen, two reporters, one of them being a female snow leopard and the other being a male moose, were sitting in two red chairs in front of an image of Zootopia itself. The female was identified as Fabienne Growly, the snow leopard who bore teal-green colored eyes along with a maroon colored nose. Her attire consisted of a black business suit with a peach toned shirt underneath, with autumn leave designs being imprinted on the said shirt. The male, on the other hand, was identified as Peter Moosebridge, a moose whose fur was a mixture between brown and light brown. While his antlers shared the same color as the light brown portions of his fur, his eyes said otherwise, as his pupils were hazel colored. His clothing consisted of a black business suit with a light red tinted shirt underneath, with a red/dark red stripped tie being attached on the collar of his shirt.

Although the well groomed mammals were an interesting sight to say the least, that wasn't why Finnick's eyes were suddenly focused on the TV. What caught his attention was what the headline said at the bottom of the screen.

**Deadly Assassin strikes Zootopia!**

“ _Good afternoon_ _, Zootopia! My name is Peter Moosebridge, here with Fabienne Growly, bringing you the latest Breaking News_ _once again_ ”, Peter spoke towards the viewers before turning his head towards the snow leopard on his right. “ _Fabienne_ ”.

“ _Earlier this afternoon,_ _we've received numerous reports about a deadly incident currently happening within the Downtown area of the Savanna Central/Downtown district_ ”, Fabienne began, her voice bearing an accent much identical to an English-born mammal. “ _According to the reports, an assassin_ _recently_ _identified as_ _Battousai the Animal Slayer, has been running through the streets of the said district with nothing but a katana and wakizashi in his possession. But regardless of the choice of weapons, he's already slain over two dozen police officers and several other civilians today_ ”, the female continued before shaking her head. “ _Not too long ago, we've received footage regarding a fight that took place on top of a train earlier today._ _And for those tuning in now, w_ _hat you are about to see is highly graphic_ _and is not recommended for younger audiences to watch. Once again, viewer's discretion is advised_ ”, with this warning given, the footage of the fight between the Battousai and Roman began to play from a train rider's point of view.

The footage had been filmed from several feet behind the Battousai himself, who suddenly jumped towards the polar bear and severs him in half from the left shoulder to his right oblique. The deathly wound was nearly swift, and the blood began spraying about the top of the moving train. Background screaming and swearing quickly filled the silence inside the train, some of them frightened at the sight, others merely shocked at the unexpected outcome. But the footage soon came to an end and the two news anchors on the TV.

“ _Ugh_ _…_ _again, that_ _was quite shocking_ ”, Peter said calmly, regardless of how uncomfortable he currently felt regarding the bloody video. “ _Either way, whoever this fox is, the police will do whatever it takes to stop this mad mammal and bring justice to those who tragically died by his blade!_ ” the moose continued as calmly as he could, despite the proclamation he had made. Finnick has seen enough of this, and his eyes soon turn towards the entrance to the ER.

“Nick…” Finnick thought inside of his head before closing his eyes, his head lowering slightly and his fists clenching with each passing second. Then, his eyes reopen, and in that instant, he knew what he had to do. “I'm sorry, buddy… but your brother needs me right now”, with those words coursing his mind, the fennec turns to the entrance of the hospital and rushes through the sliding lobby doors.

Unaware to the fennec fox, Nick had just been transferred into a hospital room right after having his wounds tended to. For the most part, all he had received from the beatings were several bruises and a couple of broken ribs, his right wrist being broken, and several lacerations across his torso that, while not life-threatening, needed stitching. One thing all his injuries had in common was the fact all of which were treated surprisingly quick. His right wrist and part of his hand-paw was covered in a thick cast, his torso covered in a thick gauze wrap that provided enough flexibility for movement, and lastly, his bruised face was covered in gauze bandages. But during the time he was being transferred to his room, he had awoken from his unconscious state and saw what was being displayed on the news.

The fight that happened on the train, the blood that painted parts of the train, and the assassin who killed Roman. But while the camera didn't show his face, he had already seen his face. Well, his eyes at the very least, a pair of familiar, innocent jade green eyes. But who was he?

After he had been transferred to his room, the nurses turned the TV on for the fox and left the room. Again, the news continued to display the breaking news that had occurred earlier that day, but now different footage began playing. The footage that was being displayed was from a helicopter's point of view, who, unbeknownst to the assassin, had captured him slaying over a dozen officers with one deathly slash of the blade before rushing away from the scene, and that was filmed roughly several minutes ago according to the claims of the news reporters who captured the bloody scene.

Another shocking scene was soon displayed on the HDTV, this one taking place on the roof. The assassin had killed several other mammals on the roof (unaware to the reporters they were Neo-Shogunate forces trying to spread their ideals in the underground). Nick may not know much about the ones slaughtered on the roof, but he knew without a doubt they were identical to the ones who attacked him at the abandoned facility, the ones who were spreading their claimed 'Neo-Shogunate' ideals. The fox's eyes, however, gaze directly at the running assassin on the scene, trying to figure out who he was… what his relation was with him.

“Who… who are you?” Nick thought inside of his mind as he continues to watch the footage on the news. Just who was he, did the injured fox continue to wonder. But right as he continues to stare at the assassin caught on film, he notices the Battousai lowering himself onto the ladder before the news cut itself off and back to the news anchors. He had to know who he was, and he couldn't find out while he was sitting here. With his mind made up, and against the doctor's wishes, the fox leans his upper body forward before turning it to the left, jumping off the fox-sized bed and landing on his feet-paws. “Looks like I'm gonna have to find out for myself. Can't do so if I'm lying on the bed”, with that thought coursing his head, the fox quickly runs out of the hospital room with one thing on his mind.

The vulpine assassin.

* * *

 

_**Tundratown, Present** _

Nothing but the silence of the winds blew through the snowy woods of Tundratown, with nothing but the occasional crowing of crows filling that silence. But it didn't take long for the repetitive sounds of footsteps to fill the silence, and the occasional panting of breath that followed with it. And rushing through the lone woods was none other than the assassin himself, Battousai the Animal Slayer, Matt Wilde.

Nearly eighteen minutes ago, the fox had taken a train on the Savanna Central/Tundratown Line, having arrived to the station after a good twenty minute run from where he killed the group of officers in the alley. Eleven minutes later, he arrived to Tundratown and quickly fled the Snowcastle Way Station in order to avoid the local authorities within the area. He suspected that, by this point, the police were to be on watch for the suspected assassin. Luckily for him, he hadn't been spotted by the cops in Tundratown… yet. But with one wrong move, that could change in an instant.

It didn't take the assassin much longer for him to arrive at the cabin he was temporarily staying in, and fortunately for him he wouldn't have to stay there for much longer. He had already packed his belongings earlier that day and placed it on the couch in the small living room. All he had to do now was get to the front door, unlock it, grab his shit, and get the fuck out of there.

The fox arrives to the front doorstep of the cabin and grabs his keys from his pockets, quickly sliding the key into the lock and turning it to the left ninety degrees. He turns it back the opposite direction just the same before quickly opening the door, only for him to run towards the couch and grab his duffel bag. Quickly strapping the bag over his shoulder, the fox immediately sprints out of the cabin, locks the door by the lock on the knob, and slams the door. The assassin immediately rushes off of the property with his duffel bag strapped onto the back, his sights set on the direction of the Meadowlands in the north.

As the vulpine quickens his haste towards his destination, his phone suddenly goes off and the fox quickly pulls it out of its case. With one swipe of his thumb through the screen, he discovers a text message from Thrandeer himself, and the message itself caused his eyes to widen with a mixture of shock, relief, and a bit of panic.

“ _Matt, the helicopter is much faster than we expected. It may be possible for us to arrive at the Meadowlands much sooner than we expected_ ”, the message began. “ _However, be wary of the local authorities. The ZNN have already been made aware of your actions, and relayed the message to the police in the process_ ”, the text continued, following a soft, annoyed growl escaping Matt's muzzle. “ _Keep your eyes peeled for any alternative paths that may help you lose the cops. I have no intention of allowing them to arrest the only hope this country has to stop the Neo-Shogunates to overtake the government_ ”, and with the message finished, the fox places his phone back into its case and continues rushing through the woods.

As he neared the end of the path, the faint sounds of police sirens began to fill the air around him. The assassin curses under his breath and continues to increase the pace of his sprinting as much as he could. His panting quickened, much like the volume of his panting. Fortunately, however, he didn't have to worry about being arrested by the cops for much longer, nor having to spill anymore unnecessary blood than he already spilled.

His eyes soon spot the end of the pathway leading to the snowy roads up ahead, much to his relief. He exits the woods and began crossing the streets right away, but a loud ' _ **HONK**_ ' and the screeching of tires immediately stopped him on his tracks. His eyes furrowed and his right hand-paw grabs the sheath of his katana, preparing to fight the one who nearly hit him with the bumper of his car. He was about to pull his sword out, but a pair of long fennec ears and a familiar, angered expression stopped him from performing any reckless actions. Matt's furrowed eyes soon widen with unexpected surprise as he saw the fennec fox driving the all familiar van.

“Finnick?!” Matt exclaimed with unexpected surprise.

“Get in!” Finnick growled authoritatively, but the assassin didn't move one inch, and the fennec already noticed this almost quickly. “Do you wanna lose the fuzz or not?!” as soon as that question came out of the fennec's mouth, Matt immediately complied and quickly opens the passenger's side door. He slams it quickly and moves to the back of the van as a way of reducing his chances of getting avoided by the cops or anyone who can potentially seize his identity.

“Heh, I didn't expect to see you again after taking my brother to the hospital”, Matt chuckled at the fennec after receiving a ride from an unexpected ally. “Either way, thanks for the help”.

“Don't mention it, Matt. I'm glad I was able to find you before the fuzz did”, Finnick replied with a scowl right before pressing on the gas. “I left the hospital shortly after I saw how you killed Roman on top of the train”.

“How did that turn out?” Matt asked.

“Bloody as ever”, Finnick replied, his eyes on the road and keeping a sharp lookout for the cops. “Didn't expect Roman to die, nor did I expect him to be affiliated with those damn Neo-Shogunate pricks or whoever they are”.

“Nor did I, though that does explain how he knew about me in the first place”, Matt claimed, but turns his head towards the driver. “Which reminds me, how's my brother holding up?”

“I was still waiting to hear word about him at the time I left the hospital to get to you”, Finnick answered, which caused the other fox to grow a surprised look on his face. “Don't worry, buddy. I've known Nick for over ten years now, and he's a lot stronger than he looks”, the fennec claimed, much to Matt's relief, a soft, relieved sigh leaving the assassin's muzzle mask covered mouth. “Look, I know a safe house in the northeast part of Tundratown. I can convince the other guys to-”

“No”, Matt quickly interrupted. “I need to get to the Northern part of the Meadowlands as quick as possible. Think you can take me there without being spotted by the cops? Or at the very least, do you know a secret passage that can take me there without any trouble?” he asked, but a heavy sigh leaves the fennec's mouth a moment after Matt had asked.

“Nah, I can't”, Finnick replied, much to the assassin's disappointment. “But, I do know an underground passage that can take you there without any issues, assuming the cops aren't occupying it”, Matt's ears perked at this the instant those words left the fennec's mouth.

“Where at?” Matt asked calmly, but the surprised expression he bore on his face was more than enough to express his interest. If it would get him out of here without any trouble, then he would take that route.

“There's a tunnel leading to the abandoned underground railway system just ten minutes from here”, Finnick began. “You'll have to pass the sewage system to get there, but once you're in, you're practically guaranteed none of the fuzz will get ya”, he continued, a sigh of relief leaving the assassin's mouth.

“Well, that's good to know”, Matt replied out of calm relief, but his eyes furrow soon after and gaze directly at the floor. With those last words having left his mouth, the two continue to drive towards the location in silence.

And as the fennec had said, it only took ten minutes to arrive to the suspected location, despite the snowy roads they drove in. The circular shaped entrance lead into the cylindrical tunnel with a dead end at the end of it. Although a dead end, a door can be seen at the back of the tunnel, one that was formerly used to get into the sewage systems whenever a problem arose for whatever reason. Now, it was entirely abandoned, and has been for several years, save for the two foxes driving into the tunnel and towards the back of it. With the fennec parking the van several meters from the door leading into the sewage system, the assassin quickly steps out of the van and shuts the door behind him.

“Be careful out there, Matt! The cops are still looking for you around Zootopia. So hurry on up and get the hell out of here!” Finnick said to the other fox quickly right before pulling the clutch to reverse and began pulling backwards. But right after turning his van towards the exit, Matt waves his right hand-paw at the fennec and grabs his attention.

“Finnick!” Matt exclaimed right as the fennec started rolling the window down to the point he could listen to whatever the fox had to say. “Thanks for everything, man. Take care of my brother for me”, with those departing words, the fennec nods at the assassin before he starts driving away from the tunnel, and the assassin himself rushes towards the door, kicking it open with one swift movement before rushing down the stairs.

The darkness of the pathway was practically dark to the point where his nocturnal vision could barely make out whatever was inside. But that didn't stop him from continuing to escape the city where everyone can be anything. The pathway soon led him to a set of long stairs leading into the sewage systems, the unpleasant smells soon filling his nostrils. He ignored them, however. Now was not the time to gag at such horrific smells. He couldn't afford to if he were to flee from the local authorities. So regardless of the foul scents, the fox presses on as if they were never there.

Fortunately, he didn't have to remain in the darkness for much longer, thanks to the dim lighting on the bottom levels of the sewage systems. He walks along the sides of the place and follows the metallic signs leading to the Meadowlands, some of them having been desecrated by rust over time due to lack of maintenance over the years. For the most part, aside from the echoes of the rapid footsteps he made along with the occasional droplet of water hitting the metal pipes, all was silent.

Roughly fifteen minutes pass after he had arrived to the secret passage, and the assassin was making excellent progress by far. He was no longer in the dimly lighted sewage pathways that were mostly made of stone, but now entering an abandoned underground train station that, much to his surprise, looked like it was recently renovated. Not only that, but the lights inside of the station were shining as bright as a recently built station. Was there something he missed? Did the city begin renovating the subway station for some reason? Those questions constantly crossed his mind, but his eyes were busy taking in the scene.

The station interior was mostly made out of marble, recently renovated concrete, and recently renovated signs attached on the walls. In front of him was a three way pathway leading to three obvious directions, the east, west, and alas the north. Three rusty bullet trains were spotted at the heart of the huge chamber, which were the only objects that have not been renovated at all. But his eyes soon turn towards the three tunnels the three abandoned trains were pointing at.

Attached to the eastern wall next to the east tunnel entrance was a sign bearing 'Nocturnal District' in bold, italic, cerulean blue colored words. Under the words, a similarly colored arrow was depicted pointing towards the right to signify the eastern direction it was pointing. To his left, the western tunnel was located, and attached to the wall was a metallic sign bearing 'Rainforest and Canal Districts' in the same font and colors. An arrow pointing towards the right was located under the words in order to signify the western direction it pointed at. And alas, attached to the northern wall was another sign, which was next to the northern tunnel, with the sign saying 'Meadowlands and Cliffside Asylum' written in the same font color and styling, an arrow being seen at the top of the sign, and pointing upward to signify the northern direction.

With that particular sign being spotted, the fox narrows his eyes towards the north tunnel and starts sprinting at it. Now he knew where to go, and he knew it wouldn't take much longer for him to get to his destination. Now he knew there will be no more interruptions in the road up ahead.

No more unexpected surprises…

“Wait!” And as soon as the sound of a familiar voice shouted, the assassin stops on his tracks and turns around. Bearing an annoyed frown at first, his eyes widen with surprise at the mammal he never expected to find him here.

Nicholas Wilde was standing here panting in the same chamber as Matt Wilde himself, dressed in the same clothing he wore at the time the incident had happened. However, he now bore a thick wrist cast around his right wrist and part of the corresponding hand-paw, along with bandages wrapped around his forehead and then some, enough to cover the bruise on the left side of his face while providing enough room for his mouth to open without issue. Although these were the only bandages Matt could see, he was completely oblivious to the fact his torso was wrapped in a thick, flexible gauze wrap covering his wounds and his broken ribs.

Earlier that day, particularly during the twenty five minute gap between Matt's brief alteration with the cops in the alley to his arrival to the Peak St Train Station, Nick had changed back into his clothes and checked himself out of the hospital, much against the advice of the medical staff there. He luckily had managed to acquire a taxi roughly ten minutes after walking in the rain, using some of the money he had on him to have the driver take him to Tundratown. He didn't know why, but some instinct told the conmammal the assassin would use the abandoned underground railway system (which, much to his surprise, was currently undergoing some renovations) in order to flee from the local authorities. And he was glad his instincts was right, because he had found the Battousai right where he expected to find him. And a good thing he did to, because the conmammal had something he needed to say to him.

“Look, I know you're trying to leave in all”, Nick paused for a moment to look down at the marble floor before looking back up to the assassin. “But please, let me borrow a few minutes of your time. There's something I wanna say to you”, the conmammal pleaded calmly, but genuinely at that. The Battousai turns his head away from him and closes his eyes halfway in though, but after a brief moment of silence, the fox opens his eyes fully and turns back to face the conmammal, his brother, with a nod.

“Look… I already know for a fact you've killed a lot, I mean a _lot_ , of mammals, and I can't say I condone what you're doing, or your reasons behind this”, Nick began prior to lowering his head and letting a soft sigh escape his mouth. “But…” the conmammal continued, but paused only brief enough to tilt his head upward, his jade green eyes looking at the same colored pair the assassin bore. “If it wasn't for you… I wouldn't be here. So… thank you for saving me, Battousai… or whoever you are”, with those final words leaving the fox's mouth, the assassin nods with understanding before turning around and walking away from the older vulpine.

Nick's eyes gaze directly at the assassin leaving the chamber, heading towards the northern tunnel leading to the Meadowlands and Cliffside Asylum. He wanted to leave as well, but he wouldn't budge for some reason. His heart began pounding inside of his chest and began inaudibly panting at a moderate pace. His left hand-paw moves up towards the spot where his heart lies, the palm of his hand-paw feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat as it progressed. Another moment passed before his eyes close and lets out a soft sigh through both his mouth and nose.

“There's more…” Nick began, causing the assassin to stop on his tracks with his ears perking upward out of curiosity. “Every time I look at you, I get this feeling that I know you from somewhere, but I can never pinpoint it”, the fox explained further, tilting his head upward and reopening his eyes, which were now starting to become slightly glossy for a reason he did not know. “And ever since I looked into your eyes, that feeling only grew stronger, and I can't figure out why”, he continued with his explanation, his eyes closing halfway and tilting his head downward, his eyes now gazing at the marble floor he stood on, seeing the faint reflection of himself. “It… it's just something I wanted to get off my chest, nothing more…” now that the fox let those words out of his mouth, he closes his eyes and was about to turn away from the assassin. But before he could move a muscle, the assassin did something Nick never expected him to do.

The assassin had suddenly wrapped his arms around the fox in a tight hug, his head resting on Nick's left shoulder. Unbeknownst to Nick, those words had affected Matt deeply and he, too, wanted, no, needed to let that out in the most genuine, non-verbal manner possible. Nick's eyes widen with unexpected surprise, but for some strange reason, he never tried to back away. He may have look surprised from the unexpected action, almost surprised even, but his own arms soon wrapped themselves around the other vulpine before resting his head on the assassin's left shoulder.

The embrace lasted for at least a minute, but to the two males (with Nick being unaware to the fact he was hugging his little brother) it lasted for ages. But much to their reluctance, the two men release their hold from one another and soon gaze at each other's jade green eyes. That was when Nick noticed something strikingly odd, yet familiar about his eyes. He was not looking at the eyes of a cold blooded killer.

He was looking at the glossy eyes of an innocent child, even if the assassin bore the body of a seventeen year old. From the corner of his eye, the conmammal can barely notice his left side of his black muzzle mask being stained with a dark crimson liquid, possibly the assassin's own blood. Why that was the case, he wasn't sure, nor was he focused on that. No, his eyes were focused on the familiarity of his jade green eyes.

“Wait… could he…?” Nick wondered inside of his own mind before slowly reaching for the Battousai's muzzle mask. But the younger vulpine suddenly jerks backwards from him and causing Nick to pull his own hand-paws back. He was about to speak again, but both his and the assassin's ears flicker to the sound of faint footsteps coming from the entrance the Battousai had came through. It was faint at first, but the sound grew gradually louder with each passing second.

“I heard someone down here! It could be the assassin!” a faint, masculine voice was heard deep within the southern entrance Matt had came from earlier, much to the surprise of both foxes, their heads turning towards the direction where the voice came from. Whoever it was that spoke, they both knew the mammal didn't come alone. Nick turns back towards the assassin with a worried look on his face, an expression he suddenly began to bear for similar reasons he couldn't comprehend. He didn't know why, but Nick had to do something for the Battousai, and fast.

“Go”, Nick spoke softly with an urgent tone of voice. “Get going before the cops get here. I'll buy you some time”, the fox continued with the same time, his eyes slightly furrowing not out of anger, but to add emphasis on the urgency of the matter. “Don't worry about me, Battousai! I'll be fine”, he claimed. But with those words, despite the fact this would possibly be the last time Matt would see his brother, the assassin nods before quickly turning away and rushing directly towards the northern tunnel.

With the assassin gone, Nick briefly glances back at the southern tunnel where the source of the officers' voices were coming from. Now it was time for him to skedaddle on out of there! With his eyes set upon the western tunnel, the conmammal rushes out of the scene and jumps onto the unused train tracks, sprinting along the side of them as fast as he could to distance himself from the scene. His eyes gaze at the numerous rocks along the tracks and began to formulate a plan. With the proper timing and the right circumstances, he knew for sure the assassin wouldn't have to worry about the cops.

Speaking of cops, nearly a dozen police officer stumble upon the chamber both Nick and the assassin had previously occupied a couple minutes ago. And while the scent of fox was faint, they knew without a doubt the assassin had been there recently. The police officers began to scout the huge chamber thoroughly for him, some of them checking under the train cars, some others checking inside the cars, even checking around the entrances of the east, west, and north tunnels. And by far, all of them had one thing in common…

“Damn!” a police officer, a lion with gold fur and a brown mane, growled with a frustrated tone. “The assassin's not here!”

“Where could he have gone?!” another police officer, this one being a snow white polar bear, growled with a tone similar to the lion's, albeit with a slightly more aggressive attitude. He was about to continue ranting, but a loud ' _ **POW**_ ' echoing through the western tunnel suddenly grabs his and his fellow officers' attention.

“Quick! The assassin's over there!” a third officer, a large, strongly built zebra shouted right before he and the rest of the officers start sprinting towards the suspected location, their minds thinking the assassin was located somewhere within the western tunnel.

Completely unaware to the officers, however, Matt Wilde had taken the northern tunnel towards the Meadowlands and had managed to greatly distance himself from the chamber. His left hand-paw gripped the top part of the sheath of his sword, his thumb resting on the guard of his weapon. His nocturnal eyes were furrowed with focus, and his ears were alert as ever. And lastly, his right hand-paw retains a secure hold of the strap of his duffel bag.

His ears flickered to the sound of a faint ' _ **pow**_ ' coming from behind him, the fox stopping on his tracks and turning his head to the right after he heard the noise, his eyes glaring at the direction where he had come from. He couldn't decipher the source of the noise, but whatever it was, it didn't sound like a gunshot, much to his relief. But he couldn't linger here much longer. The assassin needed to leave before the helicopter arrived to pick him up. Turning his head back to the front, Matt continues his journey towards the end of the tunnel and into the Meadowlands.

It didn't take him fairly too long for him to navigate through the darkness of the northern tunnel, the time having taken a good half an hour to get from the underground chamber to the end of the trail. And he was quite pleased to discover what was at the end of the abandoned railroad tracks. For one, not a single cop was in sight, nor were the sound of police sirens or choppers heard. Hell, it was practically quiet through the lush green fields, save for the approaching footsteps of another figure. The assassin grabs a hold of the hilt of his sword and was about to unsheathe his blade, but stops himself as soon as his eyes widen slightly at the unexpected visitor.

The figure himself was none other than Brian, the same fennec fox he had met shortly before the Savanna Heights Complex slayings. The fennec was currently inhaling a cigarette and exhales the smoke though his mouth and nose roughly five seconds later. The twenty year old fennec not stood just a few feet from the tunnel's exit, with the sports car he owns being parked roughly ten yards away from his position. The sandy and brown colored fur, his black and red colored Mohawk and goatee, and his icy blue eyes shine noticeably even in the cloudy, no longer rainy weather.

His attire was quite different from what the fennec had worn during the assassination assignment the night before. A black tank top along with a black denim vest covered his torso. The tank top bore 'Exploited' on top, a fox skull with a spiky Mohawk much identical to Brian's, and 'Beat the Bastards' underneath the skull, the skull being a bony color and the words in a bright, blood red color. Silver spikes were attached to the back of his vest to give a menacing look to his attire. His forearms and the back of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of black samurai bracers, with silver spikes being attached to give them a punk vibe to them. Instead of the hakama pants he wore, the fennec now wore a pair of tight fitting sanded blue jeans with large holes on his knees, the leg openings of his pants being tucked into his black open toe boots. Lastly, his eighteen inch long katana and his foot long wakizashi were attached to the left side of his body, both of which were secured with a modified bullet belt he had made.

“There's a face I didn't expect to see”, Matt greeted with a relieved chuckle, a playful scoff escaping the punk looking fennec's mouth following a grin forming on his face.

“Oh, bloody hell, Matt! You wound me”, Brian replied following a chuckle escaping his mouth, his hand-paws moving to his hips and shaking his head a couple times.

“Just glad to see ya, buddy”, Matt said with sincerity in his voice all while walking towards the English-born fennec. “How did you know I was coming here?”

“Finnick got a hold of me shortly after he dropped you off and informed me where you were heading”, Brian replied right before turning around and walking towards his sports car. “Thrandeer texted me a couple minutes ago and gave me the location of the extraction point. I'll drive you there”, as soon as Matt heard those words leaving the fennec's mouth, he lets out a sigh of relief and follows the fennec, quickly entering the passenger's side and placing his bag in the back seat before buckling himself in. Brian enters the driver's side shortly afterward and places the keys into the ignition, turning it forward to the point where the loud, clean growl of the engine roars loudly. With the car started, Brian pulls out of the grassy field and drives along the dark gray road ahead of him.

The entire drive was practically silent with the exception of the hardcore punk bands Brian played on the radio via auxiliary cord hooked onto his IPawd. Matt's eyes gaze directly at the lush green fields of the Meadowlands through the passenger side window, watching the vast fields and other vegetation passing by them throughout the drive. A soft sigh soon leaves his muzzle right before closing his eyes, leaning his head back against the seat for support. Now was a really good time for him to catch some shuteye. And with his eyes closed, the fox drifts off into a much needed nap, with nothing but the sound of hardcore punk playing on the radio accompanying the sound of silence.

The sound of music didn't last for much longer, however, for roughly forty five minutes after he drifted off to sleep did the sound of helicopter rotors swirling heavily began filling the silence in the air. Matt's eyes slowly opened at the repetitive sound and soon gazed at the helicopter he and Brian were now approaching. While his eyes appeared tired at first, they instantly shoot wide open the instant they gaze directly at the figure standing outside.

Thrandeer Katzuma was currently standing in front of what appears to be a green camouflage colored Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter, the deer standing right in front of the left side with the sliding door right open. The fox noticed his attire consisted of a black tight fitting shirt, a pair of olive colored cargo pants with the leg openings tucked inside of his brown open toe combat boots. A pair of black samurai bracers cover his forearms and the back of his hand-paws. Lastly, a long katana and a short wakizashi was attached on the left side of his body, both of which were secured tightly with a cloth belt.

The helicopter pilot himself remained idly seated inside of the chopper keeping the rotors running, his large hand-paws holding the joystick shaped steering cyclic. The pilot was a tall lion bearing golden fur with a crimson red mane, his eyes matching the gold color of his fur. His attire practically consisted of a dark cerulean blue colored helicopter jumpsuit along with a large, white helmet. A pair of black shades were attached to the helmet and covering his eyes entirely.

As he remained seated inside the chopper, his eyes gaze towards the two foxes leaving the sports car and walking hastily towards the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader. Thrandeer himself took a few steps forward and looks down at the two predators before him.

“Its great to see you in one piece, Matt”, Thrandeer said with relief despite the calmly stern look he bore on his face.

“Likewise, sir”, Matt replied monotonically, pulling the hood off of his head along with the muzzle mask, which the left side of the mask was now stained with the fox's blood. Fortunately, however, his scar had stopped bleeding roughly an hour ago, but his cheek had been bloodstained.

“What makes of the enemy clan and rouge traitors? Have you and Brian disposed of them?” Thrandeer asked.

“Yes”, Matt and Brian answered simultaneously with a nod.

“I've encountered more of them while I was trying to lose the cops in Savanna Central, but they were slain on the way to the station”, Matt added right as the deer and the fennec shift their attention towards the Battousai.

“Good”, Thrandeer replied with a nod. “And what makes of the Neo-Yaminobu?” he asked with a calmly curious tone.

“I've slain the ones I've encountered, but from what I can tell, all of them are dead”, Matt answered. “It may be possible a few more still roam around the city somewhere trying to regroup. However, I didn't have the chance to survey the rest of the city in order to be sure”, the fox added. And although Thrandeer wasn't fond of hearing this, he wasn't really surprised by this due to the fact Matt had been pursued by the police earlier today.

“I see…” Thrandeer replied calmly before letting a soft sigh escape his muzzle. “I'll admit I'm not entirely fond of hearing the possibility of survivors within Zootopia. However, understanding the circumstances you were forced to undergo at the time, I cannot blame you”, the deer added, his head turning towards the fennec right after he finished. “Brian, I trust you will look into the matter thoroughly?”

“Yeah”, Brian responded with nod. “I may not be a Neo-Imperialist like the rest of you guys are, but I sure as hell don't have any intention of letting those Neo-Shogunate pricks take over the government with their ideals”, he added as a grin began forming on his face. “Besides, at least it gives me something to help pass the time”, the English-born fennec finished, the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader letting a light chuckle escape his voice.

“Of course”, Thrandeer said with a nod right before turning towards Matt. “However, Matt and I must be on our way back to New Otsu. The sooner we leave Zootopia, the lesser the chance of being caught becomes”.

“Understood, Thrandeer! I'll try to buy you guys some time while I'm at it just in case”, Brian replied with a nod.

“Much appreciated”, Thrandeer responded with a calm, thankful nod prior to him and Matt bowing at the punk dressed fennec. “Farewell, my friend”, and with those words, both he and the Battousai walk towards the chopper, with Matt entering and taking a seat on the cushioned bench on the right side of the chopper. Thrandeer closes the sliding door behind him after entering the chopper and takes a seat in the co-pilot's chair.

With the two Ishin-Mirkwood mammals securely buckled within the seats of the chopper, the pilot pulls the collective lever upward and begins ascending towards the skies above. His hand-paws pull the cyclic forward a bit and began moving towards that direction slightly. But after about thirty seconds, the lion manipulates the handle towards the left, turning the helicopter towards the direction where Kawasabus and New Otsu lay.

“We should be back in New Otsu in less than a few hours, chief”, the pilot said calmly before pushing the cyclic forward a bit enough to increase the velocity in which the chopper flies towards its destination.

“Excellent”, Thrandeer replied with a thankful nod. “Remember to fly low in order to avoid being spotted by any military bases within the city”, the clan leader advised a moment before shifting his attention towards the front.

With the pilot and co-pilot focusing their attention towards the front, Matt's eyes gaze directly at the city, watching the buildings slowly shrinking before his very eyes. Once again, he was leaving the very city he once called home. He had been born in Zootopia, and raised there for over nine years of his life. It was honestly disheartening, and even if the expression didn't show his sadness, his glossy eyes did. He looked to be on the verge of tears, but he couldn't let himself shed any tears. Reluctantly, the vulpine turns away from the city they were now hastily flying away from, his glossy eyes locking their gaze towards the metallic, gun metal flooring before him. Completely oblivious to him, however, the clan leader turns his head to the left and looks back towards the fox.

“Matt, we should be back in New Otsu hopefully within less than a few-” Thrandeer was about to tell him the estimated time of their trip back to New Otsu, but pauses with a barely audible, yet surprised gasp at what he saw. He caught the glossy look his eyes now bore, with tears beginning to form on the bottom of them. He honestly did not expect to see the sadness in Matt's eyes, even if the fox's facial expression didn't show it. The clan leader now knew what he had to do. The buck shifts his glance towards the pilot and looks at the lion with a calmly serious tone in them. “Keep an eye on the sky. I need to check up on Matt”, the clan leader said softly enough to where only the lion could hear.

“Thrandeer, I need a co-pilot to-” the pilot was about to continue, but Thrandeer gestured his head towards the fox. The lions takes a brief moment to glance back at the fox and noticed the wet look his eyes bore. Now he understood what Thrandeer was trying to do, and with an acknowledging nod, the lion reverts his gaze back towards the front. “I understand”.

“Thank you”, Thrandeer replied softly right before standing up from the co-pilot seat, his eyes gazing at the fox and walking directly towards him. He takes a seat next to the assassin and looks down at the fox. “Matt…” he began, gently placing his right hand-paw onto his left shoulder gently, the fox slowly turning his head right at the clan leader's face. “I understand leaving the city that was once your home for the second time isn't easy, but listen to me. One day, you will return to the city one and reunite with your loved ones”, the deer reassured calmly, but with a soft sigh leaving the fox's muzzle shortly after, his eyes shifting their attention towards the metallic floor.

“I know…” Matt spoke calmly as a response to Thrandeer's words, closing his eyes and using his right forearm to wipe the unshedded tears from his eyes. “Its just…. I have a lot on my mind right now…” the fox claimed, the buck giving Matt an understanding nod and removing his hold on his shoulder.

“You ran into your brother while you were trying to flee Zootopia, didn't you?” Thrandeer asked softly.

“Yeah… I did”, Matt replied with a gentle nod. “Its been over eight years since I've last seen him… I wish I saw him under better circumstances… ya know” the fox continued following a soft sigh, with the deer giving an understanding nod. But the fox soon turns to face him with a soft, convincingly reassuring smile on his muzzle. “Don't worry, Thrandeer. I'm alright… really”, the fox claimed right before turning away from the buck, losing the smile within a mere second. However, Thrandeer knew better than to leave Matt's side while bearing an emotionless expression on his face. The buck knew what Matt was doing, and he knew what he had to do.

“I already know you're withholding your emotions”, Thrandeer claimed with a concerned tone. “There's no need to hold them any longer, Matt. Let them out”, the buck advised before placing his right hand-paw back onto his left shoulder, the fox turning his head towards him with an emotionless expression, despite his brows being slightly furrowed and his eyes being glossy. He turns away from the deer and looks back down towards the floor once more.

At first, it looked though as if his advice had fallen on deaf ears, since the fox's expression didn't change one bit. However, the buck noticed the fox's hand-paws shaking only the slightest, but had began to intensify with each passing second. His brows no longer furrowed, and they began to raise upward into a saddened expression. His bottom lip began to quiver much like his eyes started to become glossier with unshed tears. His breathing quickened slightly, his chest raising up and down with every breath he took. He can no longer hold his emotions back, nor could he no longer hold back his tears. Because as soon as he closes his eyes and lowers his head, hot tears start streaming down his face just like the sobs that began escaping his muzzle.

“Why does it hurt so much?!” Matt sobbed as fresh tears continue to stream down his muzzle, some of them dripping down his chin because of the angle he was crying. Thrandeer places a comforting hand-paw on his back right as Matt covers his eyes with his hand-paws. “I really wanted to let him know I was alive, to let him know how badly I missed him”, the fox continued through sobs as the tears continue to stream down his tightly closed eyes. Thrandeer gently wraps his arms around the fox and pulls him into a comforting hug, with Matt resting his head against the clan leader's torso. “I miss my brother… I miss him so much…” he whimpered with a soft sob, his tears staining the clan leader's shirt because of how much he was crying. But honestly, Thrandeer didn't care one bit. All he cared about was providing as much comfort for the fox as much as he can.

“Its alright, Matt. Let it all out”, Thrandeer spoke soothingly and continues to hold him comfortingly. “As I mentioned before, I understand its hard leaving the city you once called home”, he began, with the fox looking up at him with his jade green eyes, which the sclera of his eyes now bore a light tint of red in them because of the tears he's shed. “But I promise you will be able to return home once the Neo-Shogunate government's been overthrown”, he reassured, the fox sniffling a couple times before using his left forearm to wipe the tears off his face.

“Thanks…” Matt thanked him softly with a soft, brief, hardly noticeable smile on his face, but lost the smile and turns away from the buck. In fact, his eyes now gaze directly towards the window, directly towards the city where anyone can be anything.

Zootopia, the city of his birth, the city he once called home….

* * *

 

_**Nick and Finnick's Hangout, Savanna Central** _

The cloudy Zootopian skies slowly began to darken as the afternoon continued to progress slowly towards the evening. And although the rain had stopped not too long ago, the clouds still remained in the sky. And for the most part, all of the mammals continued on about their business despite the recent slayings that happened, police officer and Neo-Shogunate forces alike. But one thing was for certain: November the Twenty Second would remembered as one of the bloodiest tragedies in Zootopia. That wasn't on the minds of Nicholas Wilde nor Finnick at this time, however, for their minds were merely focused upon everything that had happened since last night.

Speaking of them, Nick had managed to escape from the abandoned, refurbished underground subway system sometime during the forty five minute gap between the time Matt's escape from the tunnel and the time he arrived to the chopper. Fortunately, Finnick happened to be within the area when Nick fled the abandoned subway system, though he wasn't too happy to see him there, since Nick was supposed to be at the hospital. Conveniently enough, however, Nick had already gotten his medications in order to tend to his wounds, much to the fennec's relief. At least the conmammal did one thing the fennec thought was right. But why was Nick inside the abandoned underground subway system? How the hell did he get there for that matter? Those were the questions constantly coursing Finnick's mind.

As of tight now, both Finnick and Nick Wilde were currently sitting on a couple chairs in next to the entrance of the route under the bridge. The bridge was one of their favorite hangouts to chill at whenever they had the free time, which was located near a couple of abandoned factories within the Savanna Central area. It had also been considered as a secondary home for them sometimes if they needed to get away from issues within the city or if they needed a small vacation of sort. And in this particular case, they could use quite a vacation.

But the prolonging silence was starting to get to them, especially since Nick hasn't uttered a word since he had been picked up from the tunnel he escaped from. And now he needed to have the questions coursing his mind answered, and Nick was the only one applicable to answer them.

“Yo! Nick”, Finnick exclaimed calmly right before seeing the taller fox turning his attention towards the fennec, his eyes half-closed and in thought. “What were you doing in the abandoned subway system in Tundratown? How the hell did you get there in the first place?” the fennec asked with genuine curiosity despite the frown he bore on his face. A soft sigh leaves the red fox's muzzle before tilting his head towards the ground.

“I got a cab to take me there”, Nick began. “I… I don't know why, but something told me I had to go there, to see the Battousai before he left”, the fox continued, his head tilting upward and gazing directly at the fennec in front of him. “Its just a weird feeling I got, ya know…. Its almost as if I knew him from somewhere…” he kept speaking, albeit softer than he did moments before.

It wasn't long before Nick found himself in another trance, his eyes gazing directly at the ground just a few inches in front of Finnick's feet-paws. His eyes narrowed slightly, but not out of anger, hurt, or any negative feeling for that matter, but in thought. He wondered who the Battousai really why he looked so familiar, but couldn't place his thumb on the assassin's identity. His eyes close and, with a heavy sigh, the fox stands from his chair and walks up along the dirt hill right next to the bridge, which was about three times Nick's height. All of the sudden, however, he tilts his head upward and looks towards the west, spotting a faint, moving dot in the sky that he could've sworn resembled a military chopper of sort. But honestly, he couldn't tell since the moving figure was way too small for him to be sure.

Unaware to the fox, however, his eyes had become glossy to the point where a couple of tears began streaming down his face. The fennec quickly notices this and jogs towards the fox, the usual frown he bore on his face now shifting towards one full of concern.

“Hey, buddy! You alright?” Finnick asked calmly with a hint of concern in his voice.

“Wait, What?” Nick asked, the fox snapping out of his trance and quickly turning his attention towards the fennec. That was when he noticed the tears in his own eyes, much to the fox's confusion. His left hand-paw traces over the corresponding cheek and felt the fresh strand of tears that dampened his fur. His eyes widen slightly from this following a barely audible gasp.

“What's with the water works, Nick?” Finnick asked with a curious brow, only for him to be met with the sight of Nick closing both of his eyes.

“I don't know…” Nick answered with a soft shrug. However, the conmammal reopens his glossy eyes and turns his head to the fennec next to him, a soft smile began forming on his muzzle. “Seriously, I don't know”, he continued with a light hearted chuckle right before turning back towards the sky where he saw the small, moving dot. It was gone at this point, but his gaze remained locked at that particular direction as if it were still there. But his gaze didn't stay there for long, for he uses his left forearm to dry the tears that stained his face. He turns back to the fennec with a soft, genuine smile on his muzzle. “C'mon, Fin. Lets get going”, and with those words, he and the fennec start walking back towards the parking lot where the van was parked.

Much of the day had been pretty hectic to say the least for Nick Wilde, having started when he went to the Vulpine Vibes Club and having progressed in a way he did not expect. He never expected to meet Battousai the Animal Slayer today, nor to have his live saved by the assassin, let alone twice. He never expected one of Mr. Big's goons to actually be a Neo-Shogunate spy, to nearly die by his hand-paws, and to see him literally get hacked in half by the Battousai's blade. He never expected to get hugged by the assassin who saved his life twice, nor to reciprocate the hug in return. But more importantly, he never expected to feel the very thing he had given up on many years ago.

Hope…


	19. Midnicampum Holicithias

_ **Midnicampum Holicithias** _

  


_**May, 2016…** _

The only sound occupying the silence of the computer room was the repetitive tapping of the keyboard, a lone vulpine figure sitting silently in front of the ICarrot computer typing up a document into the computer. His jade green eyes focus on the document he was typing, and the fox's mind was just as focused as his eyes were. Words were constantly being written within the digital document as the seconds continued to pass by quickly. Whatever it was the fox was writing, he knew what he wanted to type, and he was jotting it down inside the document like a critically acclaimed author in the Zootopia Times.

Since Matt's return from the mid-west yesterday, the fox had been inside of the computer room for most of the day typing up his memoir, pausing only during food and bathroom breaks, along with returning to his home somewhere within the northeast part of the Downtown/Savanna central district. And since his arrival to the Motorcycle Club this morning, the fox had pretty much continued to work on his personal memoir regarding his past, much of which having took place in Kawasabus and New Otsu several years ago. It was now the afternoon, and despite the short amount of time he had written the memoir, albeit roughly, he had made quite the astonishing progress.

The fox's attire was much different from what he had worn the day before. Matt was now sporting a black, slim fitting V-neck T-shirt along with a pair of dark sanded blue jeans, the pants themselves being a tight fit on the thigh area and opening into a bootcut at the bottom of his leg openings. The fox's shirt also happened to be slim enough to where some of the muscle definition on his torso could be seen. His feet-paws were covered in a pair of black leather open toe motorcycle boots, along with a pair of black samurai bracers covering his forearms along with the back of his fingerless gloved hand-paws, the gloves themselves coincidentally being the same color as the bracers. Lastly, a tan, rectangular shaped bandage of sort covered the cross-shaped wound on his left cheek.

As the fox continues to write his memoir into the document he saved on the ICarrot computer's desktop, his left hand-paw grabs the glass of water from the adjacent desk next to the computer. He pulls the cup towards his muzzle and takes a light, hearty swig of the clear beverage before gently placing the cup back where he got it. He was about to refocus his attention back towards the document until his ears flicker to the sound of someone knocking on the door. The twenty four year old vulpine turns his head to the right and looks at the mammal entering the room.

The figure who had opened the door just now was a snow white timber wolf bearing a long, very bushy, dark brown colored beard on his muzzle, with similarly colored long hair ranging from the sides and back of his head. The top of his head matched his fur to give the allusion of 'baldness' on the male, which also coincidentally matched the same thickness as his natural fur. His eyes glistened in an icy blue color. While his arms were strong in built, his stomach did not bear the same strongly defined look Matt's stomach was. No, the wolf bore a chubby built stomach. Fortunately for him, his dark gray long sleeved shirt along with a black leather vest made it less noticeable, with the long sleeves being rolled up to the upper portion of his forearms. His hand-paws were covered in a pair of black leather fingerless gloves along with a pair of steel bracers covering his forearms and back portion of his gloved hand-paws. A pair of brown cargo pants covered his legs, with the shirt being tucked into the waistline along with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. If the wolf were to be compared with anyone, he would best resemble a lupine version of Dwalin.

“Let me guess, Thor's calling for another meeting?”, Matt asked calmly, receiving a similarly toned nod from the lupine male.

“With the way the missing mammals case is now, laddie, I wouldn't be surprised if he started getting a dozen of 'em a day”, Dwayne replied with a slight chuckle, a Scottish-based accent obvious in his voice. “Might as well head to the bar downstairs and see what it's about”, and after his response, the wolf turns away from the fox and heads downstairs to meet with the other members of the club.

And with the lupine out of sight, the fox turns back to the computer and saves the document before closing the document and shutting the computer down. His eyes turn to the left and reaches for his sword leaning against the table, standing up out of his chair and allowing him to place the weapon through the loop on the left side of his body. He grabs his black denim vest bearing the Defiler's patch in all on it and slips it on, walking out of the computer room and closing the door behind him. His head turns to the right and walks down the stairs he had spotted, the silence soon becoming filled with the sound of nearly rowdy chatter rather quickly. Whatever it was Thor needed to say about the case, the fox had to know.

He soon found himself on the first floor near the bar, and the place was practically packed with variously sized mammals, with the largest of predators to even some of the smallest of prey animals. All of them wore black leather or denim vests on them, which bore the patches signifying their allegiance to the Defilers Motorcycle Club. Speaking of their allegiance, the leader of the Defilers, Thor, the one whom all members sworn to sat at the middle of the bar like a throne room in a kingdom. All members of the club gazed directly at the MC chapter president.

Thor's attire was much like Matt's, with a few distinctions of course. For instance, the tall wolf was wearing a black leather jacket over his black T-shirt along with a pair of black leather fingerless gloves as well, with holes surrounding the knuckles of his hand-paws. His sanded blue jeans were torn around the knee areas in a distressed manner, some of the threads from the denim being detached and hanging from where the holes were located. But despite the way the male dressed, his eyes were stern and his brows were furrowed slightly enough to emphasize a strong sense of seriousness in them.

“My brothers! Gather around, gather around!” Thor exclaimed with a gruff, his English accented voice catching the attention of those within the bar. His arms were spread open and his fingers were bending back and forth to add emphasis on grabbing their attention. And once the chatter had come to a halt, the Defilers MC president lets out a calm sigh and places his hand-paws inside the pockets of his leather jacket. “As many of us know, Matt has returned to Zootopia after handling affairs with the Defilers in the Midwest. But that is not the reason I called upon you all to this meeting”, the wolf continued, pulling his hand-paws out of his pockets and crossing his arms. “As of three minutes ago, Joey Clawhauser and I received intel from a spy of ours in the Meadowlands regarding the location of the fourteen missing mammals”, the Defilers President continued, and chatter amongst the Motorcycle Club's members began to increase with the leader becoming bombarded with questions.

“Where have they been located?” one of the Defilers' Prospect members, particularly a male Thompson's Gazelle, asked quickly.

“Have you found any information on how or why the predator's are going missing?” another Defilers' Prospect member, this one an English-born snow leopard, asked just as quickly.

“Is this some sort of conspiracy?!” a third Defilers' member, a cross fox, asked almost frantically.

“Quiet! All of you!” Thor roared as the questions continue to pile up one after another, silencing the rowdy chatter that was close to getting out of hand. “I do not know why mammals started going missing, let alone predators to begin with, Ross”, the wolf answered the snow leopard before shifting his attention towards the cross fox sitting on the couch near the bar. “Nor do I know if whether or not this is a conspiracy… but I will say this”, the Defilers President paused for a moment and lets out a calm sigh. “Something is definitely amiss within Zootopia, and I don't know what's causing this…. But once we find out the cause of this, or possibly the mammal responsible for this, we will take action and combat the matter at hand”, with those words, his attention shifts towards a muscular toned cheetah standing several feet away from Matt. “Joey, tell the others what you've told me”, and with that, the eyes of the other members, Matt's included, shift their gaze directly towards the cheetah nearby.

“As Thor mentioned, we received intel from one of our spies in the Meadowlands District regarding the location where the missing mammals are being held”, Joey began with a calm tone, his eyes narrowing slightly and his brows furrowing just the same. “According to our spy, he found out the missing predators have been taken to Cliffside Asylum after having hacked into the location's security feeds”, he continued. “He also informed us that, as of several hours ago, another predator by the name of Renato Manchas had been taken there because of his display of savage-like behavior”, that in particular caught the attention of everyone standing inside the bar, including Kyle Manchas and Matt Wilde. While both were surprised, their reasons were rather different.

“What?! My brother's been taken?! For savage-like behavior?!” Kyle exclaimed with shock, an obvious Spanish accent in his voice. “How?!”

“I'm not entirely certain as of how he became savage”, Joey replied with a shrug. “But my brother, Ben, called me this morning and told me that one of their officers, the bunny cop I believe, had called for dispatch after being attacked by a savage predator in the Rainforest District”, the cheetah claimed. “I know its not easy hearing this, but unfortunately, our spy had sent us the camera feeds regarding the incident proving this”, the spotted feline claimed right before walking towards the wall across from him and pulls down the projector. He grabs the remote pertaining to it from the bar and, with the press of the button, the footage began to play.

What played on the projector depicted the savage jaguar, presumably Renato Manchas, moving about aggressively in feral position. The feral jaguar had attempted to strike a fox dressed in a green Hawaiian shirt and a pair of khaki pants, but was stopped when a rabbit dressed in a tight fitting rookie uniform chained Manchas to a post with a pair of handcuffs. But as the footage continued to play, Matt's eyes slightly widen with surprise upon seeing both the fox and rabbit figures, recognizing the fox as his older brother, Nick, and the rabbit as one of Jenny's friends, Judy Hopps. Yet it didn't take much longer for the camera feed to come to an unexpected pause, right when the feed depicted two timber wolves coming out of a black van with what appeared to be a net gun aiming towards the savage jaguar.

With the footage coming to a pause, the eyes of all mammals inside the bar shift their attention back towards Thor, with Joey turning the projector off and placing the remote back where he obtained it. Thus, he focuses his attention directly at the Defilers Zootopia Chapter president.

“Alright, I don't even know what to make of the video or how the hell he became savage to begin with”, Thor admitted calmly. “However, I believe the best way we can find the true cause of this is if we send some of our own to the Asylum to investigate”, the wolf suggested, his icy blue eyes gazing directly towards a trio of canines sitting on a couch several feet to his right. “Flynn, Kris, and JP. Find a way to get to Cliffside Asylum without any of the occupants tracking you three down. When you get there, contact me and I will let the spy know of your whereabouts and have him lead you into the facility”, he paused, his attention turning towards the others with a calmly stern tone in his eyes. “Now, are there any objections?” he asked, his eyes slowly gazing at the others inside the room to see if anyone objected to his plans

“Thor, with all due respect, I think it is best I accompany them to Cliffside myself”, Matt interrupted calmly, his arms crossed as the other mammals shift their attention towards the muscular fox.

“Don't get me wrong, Matt, for I do not doubt your skills as a competent swordsman, but I'm afraid I must ask for a reason why should I allow you to accompany them?” Thor asked questionably, his arms crossed and his icy blue eyes glaring at Matt's jade green pair. The vulpine uncrosses his arms and places his hand-paws inside of his denim vest pockets.

“Because I've encountered a case similar to this roughly six and a half years ago in New Otsu”, Matt answered calmly. “I believe it would be a good idea to send someone with them who's had experience with savage mammals rather then letting the three handle this on their own”, the fox claimed, his eyes furrowing slightly as he continued to speak. “Besides, I need to confirm my suspicions about the probable cause as it is”, he added, his brows no longer furrowed after he had finished his claim. The wolf eyes him suspiciously from making such a claim, unsure of what to make of his words. However, over the few years he's known him, he had never lied to him once. Though the others might claim otherwise…

“You've got to be joking?!” one of the prospect members, a brown and white Siberian husky, growled with an obviously annoyed tone of voice. “Why the hell would you send an untrustworthy fox like him with three of the top members?!”

“Yeah! Don't send him, send someone else, for fuck's sake!” another Defilers member, this one being a ten foot tall polar bear, growled with an annoyed tone. “Send someone who's a lot more trustworthy compared to a god damn fox!” while some of the members may agree with not sending Matt, they did not condone the statements they were hearing out of the husky and polar bear's mouths. The other foxes inside of the room shift their attention directly at the two with an angered snarl, ready to defend one of their own even if they disagreed with Matt's suggestion.

“Hey! Watch your damn mouth, you asshole!” one of the vulpine Defilers members, particularly a marble fox, snarled right as he grabs the hilt of his blade.

“ENOUGH!” Thor's loudly aggressive growl was enough to silence the rowdy words escaping from the mouths of various mammals. Their heads turn towards the Motorcycle Club president and notice the cold look in his icy blue eyes. The Defilers MC president closes his eyes and began talking a few deep breaths before reopening his eyes, which they now bore a much calmer tone to them.“Now's not the time to start an argument, nor do I have the tolerance for bigoted comments! We must focus on the matter at hand”, the wolf continued, his voice being a much softer tone than what it was a moment ago. “Matt will accompany Kris, Flynn, and JP to the Cliffside Asylum and investigate the missing mammals”, the wolf finished explaining the plan right before turning towards the muscular fox with a calmly stern look on his face. “I trust you will gather as much information about the missing mammals as possible?”

“Yes”, Matt answered with a gentle, reassuring nod.

“Very well…” Thor replied with a nod before shifting his attention towards the other three canines he had mentioned. “Alright. JP, Kris, and Flynn, Matt Wilde will accompany you three during the investigation. I suggest you find every possible routes that'll help y'all get there without any trouble”, the wolf advised, his attention shifting towards the remainder of the Defilers bikers in the room. “Meeting dismissed!” and with that, the entire gang began disbanding and continued on about their business.

* * *

 

With the meeting finished and everyone disbanding, Kris, JP, Flynn, and Matt walk towards the Defilers MC entrance and exits the building, the four mammals walking to their bikes and taking a seat on the leathery cushions. Keys were placed into the ignitions of the motorcycles, and with a simple turn of the key, the engines growl loudly and were ready for use. With a press of the gas pedal, the four mammals drive out of the parking lot and begin their journey towards one location on their minds: Cliffside Asylum. The four males soon drove in a diamond shaped formation, with Flynn being the leader of the pack. Kris and JP were driving behind the leader on the left and right sides respectively, with Matt being in the back of the formation.

“So how are we gonna get to the Asylum without the security catching us?” JP asked while keeping his attention on the road, the four mammals soon turning onto the Sahara Square Freeway and driving along the highway.

“It'd be great if we could take the 6B Maintenance Tunnel through the Rainforest-Tundratown Passageway”, Kris began. “However, given that we must avoid security at all costs, we can practically scratch that idea off the list”, the wolf added.

“So how are we gonna get to Cliffside if we can't use the maintenance tunnel?” JP asked with a shrug, his eyes remaining focused on the road in front of him. It wasn't much longer before they neared the entrance leading into Savanna Central, the entryway being within their sights.

“We'll get to Cliffside from the Rainforest district”, Flynn answered. “We own a private garage near the dock leading there directly. That way, where we get there-”

“We can drive a speedboat directly to Cliffside without being seen by the security guards patrolling the area”, Matt interrupted.

“Precisely”, Flynn replied with a nod. “You're catching on the plan much quicker than I thought. Your wits are as sharp as ever, Matt”, the wolf commented with a light chuckle, the group of four soon reaching the highway leading directly from Savanna Central towards the Rainforest District.

“I've happen to been there countless times for the past few years, that I have”, Matt replied with a genuine grin on his muzzle. “Yes, it might take a little longer because of a slight detour, but at least we needn't worry about the security spotting us”, the fox added.

“So its settled then”, Flynn spoke, turning towards the rightmost lane with the other three canines following in suit to remain in the diamond shaped formation. “We will head to the Rainforest District and head to Cliffside via motor boat”, the wolf continued.

“Understood”, Matt, JP, and Kris replied simultaneously after finalizing heir plan. And with the plan finalized, the four mammals grow silent for the remainder of the trip, with nothing but the growling of their motorcycle engines, the howls of the wind, and the ongoing rolling of passing traffic accompanying the silence.

The remainder of the trip remained silent aside from the sound of traffic accompanying the four bikers. Various vehicles were passing by one another, and the skies gradually continue to darken. But roughly twenty minutes after having entered the Savanna Central District through the highway did they grow close to the entrance of the rainforest district, the tunnel happening to be within their sights. And the pleasant weather of the Savanna Central district soon became muggy and humid thanks to the controlled weather within the Rainforest district.

The four mammals slightly slow down their current speed because of the wet roads they drove through, but their eyes remain focused on the road. Even if that were the case, though, Matt occasionally glanced around the district in response to the serge of memories that began flooding his mind. He remembered the battle he fought in this district, which lead to the result of numerous manslaughter of many Neo-Yaminobu Ninjas in the area. That time, he recalled, was when he had to save his brother from their grasp with the help of Nick's partner in crime, Finnick.

But the reminiscing of those memories soon came to a halt when he and the others noticed the exit leading to the northern docks, which the group of four turn right on in order to reach the area. The nature-themed architecture soon became a luscious forest as they drove on, with rain dropping down on the four lightly as their journey progressed. Their fur, hair, and clothes lightly became drenched by the water, but none of them cared at all, because they all knew they weren't too far from their destination.

Roughly twenty minutes after entering the pathway, did they see the Defilers private garage, which was a roughly seventy yards away from the docks near the river. They pull up to the private property shortly after spotting it and park their bikes into the open, one story garage. The four canines walk out of the garage and close the garage door with a press of the button, their sights now set on the dock and the boat that accompanied it.

A midnight blue colored speedboat was spotted next to the wooden, L-shaped bridge, the boat being big enough to provide enough seats cater five wolf sized mammals. And in all honestly, that was enough to tend the needs of Kris and Flynn, and more than enough to cater both Matt and JP due to their smaller sizes (Matt being a fox and JP being a folf). Now that the boat was mentioned, the four arrive to the boat and take their seats, with Kris and Flynn sitting in the front, and both JP and Matt in the back. With Flynn taking the steering wheel, the group's journey to Cliffside begins.

“So who's the contact we're supposed to meet?” JP asked right as Kris' phone began went off with a loud ' _ **DING**_ ', the wolf grabbing his phone out of its case and taking a look at the message sent to him.

“We're meeting a timber wolf named Takeshi. He's currently disguised as one of the guards stationed at Cliffside”, Kris answered, with the fox's ears perking up upon hearing the name. “He'll be meeting us at the dock near the back of the Asylum”.

“Alright, that's good to know”, JP spoke calmly with a gentle nod, with Matt soon turning his head to his right and gazes at the passing trees and the flow of water.

“Speaking of Cliffside, you mentioned something about needing to confirm some suspicions, did you not?” Flynn asked, the fox snapping out of his trance and turning directly towards the dirty blonde haired wolf.

“Huh? Oh, yeah! I did”, Matt replied, his eyes closed and brows pointing upward, a light chuckle leaving his muzzle shortly before reopening his eyes. His smile soon vanished from his face and shifted towards a calm one. “Ever since Joey showed us the video, I started having suspicions on what may be causing the predators to go savage”, that quickly got he attention of the others, though in Flynn's case, his ears flicker with interest, even if his eyes remain fixed on the watery path.

“And those suspicions are?” Kris asked, genuinely curious regarding what it was Matt was talking about. With a soft shrug, the fox closes his eyes and shakes his head a couple times.

“I can't say for certain”, Matt replied, his eyes reopening and gazing at the other three canines. “Its just a weird feeling I've got since I saw the missing mammals posters shortly after returning to Zootopia”, he claimed, and while he was genuinely unsure, he couldn't help but shake the fact he may have an idea on what it might be. But in order to be sure, he had to look for himself…

“Its understandable, I suppose…” and with those words leaving Flynn's mouth, the four grow silent for the remainder of the trip there.

The clouds gradually continue to darken the slowly darkening afternoon skies above, and the four mammals continue to drive the speedboat towards the direction where Cliffside Asylum lay. The only noise accompanying the males was the constant sound of the motor running and the continuous splashing of water caused by the running motor. Matt's eyes remained focused on the passing forests on shore in the distance, his head resting on his right hand-paw and not caring about the small droplets of water hitting his face. His mind was practically focused on one thing, and one thing alone:

What's causing the predators to go savage?

His train of thought was soon interrupted when he caught a stony, architectural object at the corner of his left eye, causing the fox to turn his head towards the front. And there, just less than two miles from their position was their destination: Cliffside Asylum. The asylum an appearance that was creepy, gloomy, and for the most part, desolate. From what the fox could tell, the building appeared to be as high as twenty stories, perhaps a bit more? He couldn't tell for sure. But one thing was now certain…

They had arrived.

Now that they drew closer towards the docking bay near the back of the facility, Matt's eyes began to survey the surrounding area around the recently occupied asylum. His keen eyes catch a large group of what appears to be wolves, and the faint scent he caught of them confirmed that particular suspicion. The fox turns his head towards the front and continues to watch the building increase in size as the four drew closer. The closer the mammals got to the dock did they notice a male wolf well within his early thirties standing there. And they immediately knew who he was the spy the instant they saw him, the instant they parked the boat at the dock several feet from his position.

The spy they were meeting had been standing at the dock for roughly a few minutes now. He was a slender, yet muscular built timber wolf bearing a mixture of brown, gray, and white fur, with hints of black around the back of his ears. While taller than both Matt and JP, the spy was still shorter than Kris and Flynn, being roughly about five feet six inches in height. The wolf's eyes were a mixture of different colors, the left eye being an emerald green color and the right being an icy blue. His attire mainly consisted of a black trench coat with a pair of midnight blue cargo pants, with a similarly colored shirt being spotted under his jacket. His hand-paws were covered in what appears to be a pair of black samurai bracers, along with his feet-paws being covered in a pair of black open toe combat boots. Attached to the right side of his body was a pair of swords, one of them being a thirty inch bladed o katana and the other being an eighteen inch wakizashi.

But the most distinguishing feature on the wolf's body was the diagonal slash scar running from just above the left eyebrow down to just under his right eye… a scar Matt immediately recognized.

“Well there's a face I haven't seen for over six years”, Matt spoke with a chuckle right before standing up and jumping out of the boat. “And how's life treating you since the end of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate, Takeshi Sagamori?” the fox asked, the spy instantly turning towards the fox upon hearing the name, apparently his, being spoken. Yet the instant his eyes were laid upon the fox's, they widen with genuine surprise.

“Matt?” the spy, presumably Takeshi Sagamori, asked upon seeing the vulpine's face, the fox nodding to confirm his identity to the wolf.

“Heh, the one and only”, Matt replied with a light chuckle. Kris, Flynn, and JP were looking at each other briefly “I have to admit I didn't expect you to be the spy Thor told us about”.

“And I didn't expect a fellow Ishin-Mirkwood Neo-Imperialist like yourself to be one of the Defilers as well”, Takeshi replied with a light chuckle, but soon frowns slightly with a serious tone. “But now's not the time to reminisce about the past. We have work that needs to be done”, the spy spoke seriously, his attention now turning towards the other three canines standing before him. “The savage predators are being kept on the third floor. I've taken the courtesy to hack into the cameras at the back of the facility and froze the footage, so it's highly unlikely the others would suspect a thing”, he explained. “However, be wary of the Dr. Badger and Mayor Lionheart. They're currently trying to investigate the matter on the fourth floor research labs as we speak”.

“Wait, how the hell's Lionheart involved in all this?” Flynn asked suddenly, completely baffled on why the Mayor of Zootopia was here in the first place.

“He was the one who secretly initiated the order to capture and detain all the savage predators in the city and incarcerate them here”, Takeshi answered. “He assigned Dr. Badger to-” he began to explain about Dr. Badger's involvement in the case, but was interrupted at the sound of a feminine voice beginning to howl unexpectedly, causing Takeshi and the others to turn towards the direction where the check point was located. It wasn't long before one of the wolves around the area began to howl unexpectedly, much to the distaste of Kris, Flynn, and Takeshi.

“Oh Jesus Christ…” Flynn groaned with a face palm, shaking his head back and forth a couple times in an annoyed fashion.

“Thank god we overcame the instinct a few years ago…” Kris replied, albeit with a frustrated sigh.

“I don't know who's causing Gary to start howling, but it looks like you four aren't the only ones-” Takeshi began, only to be interrupted by the sound of the same, yet familiar feminine voice howling for the second time. The masculine voice, presumably belonging to Gary according to Takeshi, followed suit in the howl. Then another masculine voice began howling, and another, and almost immediately, all of the wolves stationed at the front of the Asylum started howl unexpectedly. “Shit!” he swore under his breath from the unexpected howl that started. The spy turns towards the others with a stern look on his face. “Hurry, you most get inside the Asylum and investigate what's causing all of this. I wish I could accompany you guys inside, but unfortunately I cannot, for I have other business I must attend to”, the wolf finished with a shrug right as Kris and JP start rushing towards the back entrance of Cliffside.

“Thanks…” Flynn asked, with the spy giving a nod before the Defilers member sprints after the others. Matt was about to do the same, but the wolf's left hand-paw grabbing his shoulder stopped him from progressing.

“You're thinking this might be similar to what happened several years ago, isn't it?” Takeshi asked, the fox closing his eyes halfway and looking away from it.

“I have my suspicions”, Matt answered, right before looking back up to the wolf and giving him a soft, barely noticeable smile. “Just need to confirm if whether or not they're true”, he finished. With his answer, the wolf nods before quickly turning around and sprinting towards the direction of the howling wolves. Matt quickly turns around and follows Flynn towards the back of the facility, soon meeting up with the others. And with the group of four standing before the back entrance, the mammals march into the building and began their own investigation on the savage predator matter.

Now that the four mammals have entered the back of the facility, Matt grabs his ICarrot SE from its phone case and pulls up the app for the flash light. And with the press of the app, the light began beaming from the hole right next to the camera lens on his phone. Much of the interior was cracked along with some of the wallpaper having been chipped off. Hell, for the most part, the entire facility looked abandoned with the exception for a couple of dimly lit lights lighting the dark halls and the elevators working at full function. Speaking of which, the four mammals discover the elevator twenty meters in front of them and began sprinting towards it, with Flynn pressing the triangular up button and enabling the doors to open. The four quickly enter the elevator and press press the close button, with Matt hitting the third floor button.

It didn't take them long to get to the third floor, the floor in which Takeshi claimed the savage predators were being held. And as they arrived to the third floor, they notice this particular level was much more well lit than the first, the slights shining a bright yellow color in the white painted and green tiled walls. Roughly fifty yards in front of them, the hallway turned left, with a sign saying “Containment Facility” with an arrow pointing towards the left. With this knowledge, the four canine mammals stealthily rush through the designated path and turn accordingly. And the instant they turned, they were greeted with a metallic door on the left of the hall, with an electronic numeric/key card pad being attached to the door just above the long, rectangular knob. Flynn was about to reach for the knob when he noticed the numerical pad attached to the door.

“Shit…” Flynn swore under his breath before turning towards the folf behind him. “JP, tell me you've brought your gear with you…” he spoke with a soft growl in his tone. But much to his luck, the folf had reached into his inner left pocket and pulls out what appears to be a cord resembling a phone charger, yet the opposite end bore what appeared to be a thin, metallic piece that looked identical to a key card.

“Don't worry, Flynn. For all electronics and gadgets, I have all you need right here”, with those words leaving JP's mouth, not only did the folf get to work, but Flynn also let a soft sigh of relief escape his muzzle.

“Thank god!” Flynn exclaimed with a relieved sigh, placing his hand-paws inside the pockets of his denim vest. And much to their luck, a loud ' _ **BUZZ**_ ' noise goes off the instant the door had been unlocked. JP removes the metallic card out of the slot and turns the doorknob ninety degrees down, pushing the door forward and allowing the four to enter the containment facility with haste.

Kris, JP, and Flynn turn on their flashlights via using the app on their phones to provide light for them, brightening the dimly lit, light purple colored hall slightly. Matt himself began to examine the glass cells thoroughly and aims his phone towards the cells and began to examine them thoroughly. All the victims were savage predators, which was completely obvious, of course. He aims the flashlight at the moving bodies of the various mammals to see what he could find. At first, he couldn't really tell because they were moving around. However, when he reached the cell containing an otter, the savage mammal's back turned towards the fox, Matt manages to notice something on the back right side of his neck.

While the phone was only able to provide enough light to see much of the dark furred otter's body, it was bright enough to capture some sort of blue speck on the mammal's neck. Matt squints slightly at the sight to focus on the blue substance. The longer he looked at it, the more he felt the odd feeling of recognition welled within his mind. Before he could think of what it was, the otter suddenly turns to face the fox, his nearly black eyes glaring directly at Matt's jade green colored set. And the instant the fox saw the otter's face, his eyes widen and his brows arch upward.

“Emmitt Otterton?” Matt asked softly, completely unaware one of the wolves were approaching his direction.

“Do you know him?” Kris asked, catching the fox by surprise to the point he jumps slightly and snaps towards his direction.

“Yeah…” Matt began, his head shifting back to the otter inside of the cell. “His name's Emmitt Otterton. He was another Neo-Imperialist from the Ishin-Mirkwood Clan like myself during the days of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate”, the fox explained, placing his left hand-paw onto the glass. But the instant he did that did the otter quickly dart to the window and began pounding onto the window, much to the his and Kris' surprise. “Alright, I think we've seen enough”, he continued, turning to face the others right after he finished speaking. “Lets get going”.

“Right”, as soon as that word simultaneously left the mouths of Kris, JP, and Flynn, the four mammals start jogging out of the hall and out of the room, with Matt grabbing a hold of the door and closing it. Completely unaware to him, he narrowly missed a pair of jade green and amethyst eyes spotting the door being closed by him.

With the door now closed, the group starts jogging through the hall where they came and turns right at the end of the hallway, turning directly towards the direction where the elevator doors were. JP rushes over to the elevator and was about to press the button. However, he and the others stopped the instant they heard a loud ' _ **DING**_ ' go off at the other end of the hall. The four canines turn back and walk towards the edge of the hallway, leaning forward to take a look at where the sound came from. And apparently, two predatory mammals apparently exited another elevator on the other end of the hall.

The first mammal was a male lion identified as Mayor Lionheart. The lion was currently dressed in a blue suit, with a pale shirt and red tie being seen underneath the suit itself. His large man almost matched the color of his brown eyes, eyes that were now filled with a calm sense of anger none of the four Defilers could necessarily explain. The other predator with him was a female honey badger identified as Dr. Badger. She was currently sporting a pair of light green scrubs along with a white lab coat being worn over her scrubs. Her fur mainly consisted of various shades of gray, mostly dark gray and a fifty percent cool gray. Her hair and much of the badger's back was either a silky white color or perhaps a light gray at the very darkest. Honestly, they couldn't tell because of the lighting. And as they continue to watch, the canines notice the two predators entering the containment facility with a press of a few buttons following a loud ' _ **BUZZ**_ ' noise going off.

“Enough!” Lionheart shouted with a growl in his voice all while he and the badger were entering the containment facility, completely oblivious to the fact the four canines had began recording the audio through their ICarrot Phones before he even spoke. “I don't want excuses, Doctor! I want answers!”

“Mayor Lionheart, please. We're doing everything we can!” Dr. Badger replied with a hint of urgency in her tone.

“Really? Because I've got a dozen and a half animals that have gone off the rails crazy, and you can't tell me why?” Lionheart asked with a mixture of calm anger and disbelief. “Now I call that awfully far from doing everything!”

“Mayor, it may be time to consider their biology”, that particular comment from the Badger caused Kris, JP, and Flynn to look at each other, bewildered at what the doctor had said. Matt, on the other hand, merely narrows his eyes at the direction where the voices were heard. He knew better than to assume biology was the cause of this, especially after seeing the dried, faint blue substance on Emmitt Otterton's fur.

“What? What do you mean biology?!” Lionheart bewilderingly asked, not expecting that particular claim to come out of the badger's mouth.

“The only animals going savage are predators” Dr. Badger claimed. “We cannot keep it a secret! We need to come forward!”

As the argument between the two predators continued, the four canines used this opportunity to return to the elevator they had used to get to the third floor. JP quickly presses the triangular down button and alas, the elevator doors open for them and enables the four to quickly step inside. With a press of two more buttons, the doors close and the elevator descends to the first floor quickly, much to their relief. But the relief was short lived the instant the elevator doors opened on the first floor, starting with the red flashing lights and the blaring of the loud alarm. Something must've happened! And whatever it was, it didn't sound good.

“Shit! Someone must've set off the alarms!” Flynn growled while simultaneously banging his right clenched fist against the corresponding side of the elevator.

“No time to worry about that! We gotta skedaddle”, JP replied quickly right as he and the others quickly dart towards the back entrance of the not-so-abandoned asylum. They exit the building and rush towards the docks, the howling of the wolves having been silenced ever since the alarm began blaring out of nowhere. With their boat in sight, the four quickly jump into the ship and buckle themselves in, with Flynn placing the key into the ignition and turning the ignition forward ninety degrees. Now it was time to get the hell out of there!

With the ignition started, Flynn places his right hand-paw behind Kris' seat and looks behind the boat, pulling back and turning a hundred eighty degrees to the right once he was out of the dock's way. The wolf quickly pushes the clutch towards 'Drive' and immediate speeds off back to the garage where they departed from earlier. They had seen all they could, but one of them had seen more than enough to give a conclusion. But for now, it was time to focus on getting the hell out of there and avoid being seen by any possible security guards or helicopter pilots within the area.

* * *

 

Fortunately for them, the Defilers continue their boat ride back in relative silence, with the exception of the constant splattering of water being caused by the running boat motor. Matt's ears were perked up and alert as the boat ride continued onward, his eyes staring directly down towards the front of his own feet-paws in thought. The others kept their eye on the watery path in front of them along with their surroundings, also remaining alert and ensuring none of them were being followed. The The sound of the chopper could be heard within the distance, but based on the gradually silencing sound of the helicopter rotors, it wasn't heading towards them, much to their luck.

It didn't take much longer for them to arrive to the docks near their garage, the blonde haired and bearded wolf parking the boat on the left side of the dock and killing the ignition with a turn of the key. Matt was the first to climb off of the boat, following JP, Kris, and alas, Flynn. The four males began walking towards the docks in silence… but the silence wouldn't last long.

“Biology…” JP began, swinging his arms upward in frustration before letting them slump back to his sides. “Who the hell would even dare to suggest that! Is she trying to make us predators look bad?!” he growled with frustration, shaking his head before marching directly at the one story garage.

“JP, take it easy!” Flynn exclaimed right before quickly following the folf with the intention to try and calm his fellow Defilers member down. “I'm not happy with what the doctor said, but how are we to prove against that claim without any evidence on the night howlers?” he retorted, both he and JP entering the garage by using the side entrance, only for the folf to quickly turn around and face the blonde haired and bearded wolf.

“I don't know, okay!” JP snapped in frustration while taking a seat on top of the table inside and placing his right hand-paw onto his temples, his eyes closing as the male began rubbing his forehead. “Hell, the damn Night Howlers could've been those wolves howling at the scene”, he growled with a similar tone, although not as loud as moments before.

“Wolves?” Kris stepped himself into the conversation right after hearing those words. “How the hell are night howlers related to the wolves at Cliffside?” he asked, almost offended by the comment.

“Night howlers aren't wolves”, Matt calmly included himself into the conversation, the other canine males turning to face the fox's calm expression, noticing his eyes furrowed slightly and closed.

“Aren't wolves?” JP asked, now genuinely curious behind his claim. “Then what are they then?” as soon as he asked, Matt walks towards a dark maroon colored couch and climbs onto it, taking a seat on the left cushion before letting a calm sigh leave his mouth.

“Midnicampum Holicithias”, Matt answered, his eyes reopening and turning his head directly towards the others.

“Mid-what?” Flynn asked with a cocked brow.

“Toxic flowers”, Matt answered. “Or 'Night Howlers' as some of the farmers in the Tri-Burrows area call them. Their psychological effects are so great, that consuming one flower is enough to cause a mammal to go savage for nearly a day”, that particular comment got Kris, Flynn, and JP to look at one another before directing their attention back at the fox. “I figured it out after spotting the faint blue spec on Emmitt's neck earlier. Someone must've been creating highly concentrated night howler pellets out of of them and darting predators as an attempt to force them out of the city”, the fox explained, with Flynn leaning forward and glaring at the vulpine with slightly furrowed, curious brows.

“How do you know all this?” Flynn asked, cocking his left brow upward out of suspicion. “And if what you're saying is true, who's the one darting the predators?” he asked again, only to hear Matt shrug and notice the fox closing his eyes at that particular question.

“I'm not certain on the mammal responsible for darting the predators, but as I said earlier back at the club, I've encountered an incident much like this in New Otsu roughly six and a half years ago”, Matt replied, his eyes reopening and looking at the wolf with a gentle expression on his face. “But that is a story to be told for another time, I'm afraid”, the fox added, jumping off the large wolf sized couch and turning towards the others. “I must return to Tokyo Town in the Northeastern part of the Savanna Central/Downtown District. I have to check in with my family back at the house”, he claimed right before walking towards his Hexer Motorcycle and climbing onto his seat. Flynn, Kris, and JP were now curious on how he knew all of this, especially with whatever happened at New Otsu nearly six and a half years ago. But neither one of them pressed on the matter further, albeit reluctantly.

“Alright, meet us at the club in the morning, then?” Flynn asked, the fox giving the blonde haired and bearded wolf a nod in return.

“Yeah”, Matt replied calmly a second before placing the key into the ignition to his bike and turning the ignition forward ninety degrees. The engine growled loudly upon the ignition being turned on, the fox twisting the left handle a couple times to intensify the growl. “See ya later!” and with those departing words, the fox twists the right handle forward a bit and began accelerating out of the garage, turning the bike to the left and beginning his journey back home to Tokyo Town.

Now that the fox had left the garage, his eyes remain fixed on the road ahead of him, the rain having died down sometime during their investigation. His mind, on the other hand, was not focused on the wet roads ahead of him, but the discovery he had made at the asylum earlier. He had seen it before several years ago, without a doubt, but there was one thought lingering inside the back of his mind.

“Who's responsible for darting the predators? What are they trying to gain from this?” Matt thought to himself as the fox continued to drive along the road, drawing closer to the highway with every passing second. “Whoever's responsible for this, I must be wary of their presence. Not only for myself, but for the sake of my family as well…” and with that thought finished, the fox focuses his mind and sight on returning to his home in Tokyo Town, a Japanese-based town located within the Northeast part of the Savanna Central/Downtown District. But he wasn't off guard, however, for his ears remain perked and listen to every sound within the range he could muster. Whoever was responsible for this, he will find out. But until then, the best thing he could do was continue to remain in the shadows, and ride on as if he were a common motorcycle enthusiast driving in Zootopia.


	20. Savage

_ **Savage** _

  


_**New Otsu, Ohio, November 22 nd, 2009…** _

Ever since the news report had aired regarding Battousai the Animal Slayer, Tomoe's residence has been completely hectic to say the least. Jenny had been constantly worried about the well being about her lover, Matt, ever since he had slain numerous Neo-Shogunate armies and Police Officers alike. Tears had been shed, and anxiety had filled the atmosphere inside the room. Both Tomoe and Jenny had been worried about Matt, but the rabbit was the one who was anxious about it the most. For one, he hadn't called her since last night, shortly before the attack at Savanna Heights Apartment Complex. But after everything that happened today, who could blame her?

While Jenny has remained sitting on the futon she and Matt had been sleeping on, Tomoe had been in the middle of chopping up some of the crops she had pulled out as a way of preparing for dinner. Chopped Daikon radishes were placed on a plate located on the left side of the table, with several other severed goods being placed in other smaller plates as well. Although focused on preparing for dinner, her eyes occasional glanced at the bunny sitting on the futon to herself. She noticed the rabbit being curled up in fetal position, especially with the fact her arms were wrapped around her own legs and her head resting on top of her knees. But what really got the vixen the most were the half-lidded, red eyes she bore after crying silently throughout much of the evening.

One thing was for sure: she needed to check on the bunny, and she needed to do whatever she can to comfort her. Placing the large kitchen knife on the table gently, the vixen walks over to the rabbit and takes a seat next to her, her left hand-paw gently grabbing a hold of her right shoulder. That quickly snapped the bunny out of her trance and causes the young woman to turn to face the vixen.

“Jenny…” Tomoe began with a concerned tone of voice, yet soon found herself looking away from the rabbit. But before she could continue, the vixen felt one of Jenny's hand-paws gently grabbing a hold of one of hers and causes the vulpine to turn look right back at the bunny.

“I'm alright, really…” Jenny replied softly with a gentle, yet barely noticeable smile on her face. However, she loses her smile and turns away from the vixen.

“You're worried about Matt, aren't you?” Tomoe asked, receiving a gentle nod from the rabbit within the next moment.

“A lot, actually”, Jenny replied, tightening her hold around her legs following a soft sigh. “Its been nearly several hours since the news report, and I still don't know what happened to Matt”, she continued, the rabbit's hand-paws starting to shake slightly, but involuntarily because of her anxiety. “What if he was killed in Zootopia?! What if-”

“Jenny!” Tomoe quickly interrupted firmly, yet gently at the same time, her hand-paws gripping the rabbits shoulders gently as she spoke. “Everything's going to be just fine. He's gotten into situations like this for over three years now, so I highly doubt he would be killed off easily”, she claimed reassuringly. “Besides, I bet he's been eager to return home and see his bunny again”, she added with a light smile forming on her muzzle, her eyes becoming half-lidded in a comforting manner. The rabbit herself looks into her eyes and soon found herself nodding a couple times, even smiling slightly as well.

“Tomoe…” Jenny spoke softly towards the vixen. But before the vixen could reply, a sound of a melodic shamisen riff began going off on Tomoe's phone, causing the vulpine to snap her attention towards the kitchen table.

“I'll be right back”, with that, Tomoe stands up and walks right to her phone and picks it up, swiping her thumb horizontally across the screen and looking at the caller ID. And the name she saw on the caller ID genuinely surprised the vixen. “Thrandeer's calling?” she asked herself, yet the rabbit's ears flicker at the mentioning of his name. And the instant Jenny turns towards Tomoe did the vixen answer her phone and place it on the right side of her face. “Katzuma, what's going on?”

“ _Nothing's wr_ _o_ _ng, Tomoe. I'm calling to inform you we are nearing the New Otsu Air_ _field_ _as we speak. We will be there_ _before the end of the half hour_ ”, Thrandeer said over the phone right as the vixen turns towards the rabbit sitting on the futon, who had apparently been looking at her direction she had mentioned Thrandeer's name. “ _Bring Jenny along with you, because_ _a certain fox has been dying to see his bunny_ ”, and with that, the deer hangs up on the other end of the line, the vixen placing her phone inside of her left jeans pocket and the rabbit staring at her with wide eyes.

“Thrandeer's on his way with Matt as we speak, and he's been dying to see you”, Tomoe said to the bunny with a soft grin on her face, the rabbit soon finding herself smiling. She jumps off the futon excitedly and began jumping up and down repetitively, holding her hand-paws over her short muzzle.

“He's coming home”, Jenny spoke out of relief right before pressing herself against Tomoe and wrapping her arms around the vixen's curvy waist. “Oh, thank god he's coming home!” she added, although with a muffed voice after having buried her face into her torso. She was finally relieved to know her fox was live, to know that he was coming home to her safe and sound. The vixen couldn't help but let a light chuckle leave her mouth shortly before wrapping her arms around the bunny.

“I told you everything was going to be fine. Have I ever been wrong?” Tomoe replied softly, placing her right hand-paw behind the rabbit's head and her left onto the upper part of Jenny's back.

“No, you haven't”, Jenny replied with a soft, genuine smile on her face, but soon lost the smile and looks down towards the floor. “Tomoe… I want to apologize for the way I acted earlier…” the rabbit continued, but the vixen's left hand-paw cups her chin and tilts her head up to where she can see her eyes.

“There's nothing to apologize for, Jen. I don't blame you”, Tomoe responded with an understanding tone. “Now c'mon, Thrandeer's drawing closer to the New Otsu Air Station as we speak. And no doubt Matt's gonna be happy to see you”, she added, removing her arms from the rabbit and walking over to the kitchen to grab her keys.

“Yeah…” Jenny replied, although mostly to herself prior to moving her left hand-paw towards her corresponding, bandaged cheek. It was in that particular moment when something dawned on her, the rabbit's eyes widening with a mixture of shock and apprehension. “Oh god, if Matt sees this, he's gonna flip his shit!” she exclaimed with shock right before pacing back and forth rapidly. “He's gonna try and go after Enishi if he finds out about this! Fuck, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna do!” at this point, curses were constantly escaping her mouth rapidly, her head shaking frantically and her hand-paws being placed on her head. She was about to say something else right before the vixen grabs her shoulders and turns the rabbit towards her direction.

“Jenny, listen to me”, Tomoe spoke firmly, but calmly nonetheless. “He won't do anything. And if he does, we'll make sure he doesn't try to go after Enishi”, the vixen reassured, the rabbit glaring at the vixen for a moment before giving her a gentle. With this, the vixen removes her hand-paws from the rabbit's shoulders and places the left in her corresponding pants pocket. “Alright, lets get going. Don't wanna make them wait, do we?”

“No way. I've been away from my fox for far to long”, with that particular response, Jenny shakes her head before walking out of the front door, the vixen following behind and exiting the front door. Tomoe locks the door behind her before heading to the Lavender colored 2009 Hounda Civic parked in the driveway. With a press of a button, she unlocks the car doors and steps into the driver's side, the rabbit stepping into the passenger's side door and buckling herself in.

“How far is the Airfield from here?” Jenny asked right as the vixen places the key into the ignition and turns it forward, a loud growl igniting within the engine itself.

“The Airfield's a good twenty minute drive west of here”, Tomoe answered, her right hand-paw grabbing the headrest of the passenger seat and looking out the rear window, pulling the car out of the driveway prior to shifting the gear lever to 'drive'. “I've had to go there on countless occasions when I was working at my previous work place”, she claimed all while she presses on the gas pedal and began driving towards their destination.

“Where did you work at previously before working at your current job?”, Jenny quickly asked out of curiosity, wondering if her previous job had anything to do with what Enishi had mentioned earlier regarding a former lover of hers.

“Um… lets just say it wasn't pleasant after I found out about a few things…” Tomoe hesitantly answered, yet with an honest tone nevertheless. “But I'm glad I don't work there anymore. I much prefer working as a manager at my new job along with working with you two”, she added honestly, softly smiling to the fact she was happy working as a manager at a local flower shop and working as a part-time fisher maiden in Matt and Jenny's at-home business, 'Bunni & Wilde Fishing Co.'.

Although Jenny wanted to pry on the matter regarding her former job, whatever it was, she decided against it and turns her attention to the front. And from here on out, the remainder of the ride was silent with the exception of traditional, instrumental, melodic Japanese music playing on the radio through Tomoe's ICarrot 3G phone. And while the bunny found herself clouded in her own thoughts, the music did help her think much more clearly than thinking in silence.

* * *

 

Fortunately, the drive to the New Otsu Airfield didn't last for much longer, the trip from Tomoe's residence to the Airfield only took about twenty minutes just as the vixen said. Jenny's eyes soon spot the open gates along with the road leading to the grassy helipad up ahead. Her heart was pounding inside of her chest, and her eyes were glaring at the helipad that would soon be occupied by the chopper containing the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader, Thrandeer Katzuma, along with the Battousai, Matt Wilde. Her right hand-paw anxiously grabs a hold of the left side of her chest, and her breathing began to quicken only slightly. But this was enough to show how anxious, no, how eager she was to see him. She wanted to see her fox, and she wanted to see him badly.

Luckily for her, the wait didn't last much longer, because right as soon as the two mammals entered the Airfield property did they notice a green camouflage colored Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter hovering ten yards over the helipad, and slowly descending. But they were not the only ones there, however, for two black limos along with several other mammals occupied the area Tomoe and Jenny were about to park at. All of them were dressed in clothing much similar to what Matt wore when she was around him, the black shirts, olive cargo or hakama pants, and so forth.

It didn't take them long to find a suitable parking spot within the area, having parked several feet away from the limos occupying part of the grassy designated parking area. Both the vixen and the bunny step out of the car once Tomoe had killed the ignition by pulling the key out of the slot. And as they made their way to where the others were waiting, they notice the chopper's landing skids finally touching the ground and the left door sliding open. Jenny quickly reaches to the front and notices Thrandeer Katzuma leaving the chopper from the open door. Time seemed to slow down for the rabbit, and her heart was pounding rapidly inside her chest, much to the point her heart could burst out at any given moment. But what, no, who she saw come out of the chopper next made her eyes widen and her heart skip a beat.

Matt Wilde had stepped out of the chopper and steps foot onto the grassy ground before him, his jade green eyes soon catching the sight of Jenny's sapphire blue colored ones. The bunny noticed his clothes consisted of a slim fitting black V-neck T-shirt being worn under his black hoodie along with a pair of sanded blue slim bootcut fitting jeans. His black open toe boots were covered by the leg openings of his pants, much like how the sleeves of his hoodie covered his black samurai bracers, Lastly, part of the bracers covered the back of his black leather gloves, the gloves themselves covering his hand-paws completely. But the one common trait she noticed his clothes bore was the crimson colored liquid staining them.

Even if she noticed his clothing had been stained with the blood of those he killed, the Neo-Shogunate armies and Zootopia Police Officers alike, she honestly didn't care. Her fox had returned home safely, and her eyes began to water with fresh tears. Her hand-paws cup her small muzzle and a couple tears stream down her cheeks. The next thing that came out of her mouth was the one word she wanted to say, the same word she wanted to shout the instant she saw him.

“MATT!!” Jenny shouted loudly and immediately sprints directly at the fox's direction, completely unaware to the fact the bandage that covered her facial wound flew off right when she darted to him. The mammals who saw this were completely baffled by how fast she ran, even the fox himself was bewildered, much to his surprise. His eyes immediately widen with genuine shock and was about to say something, only for the rabbit to collide with him with full force.

“Gah!” Matt grunted loudly in bewilderment, not expecting the rabbit to collide with a strong enough force to knock him to the ground, his back hitting the grassy ground under him. And before he could register what was happening, the bunny quickly wraps her arms tightly around the muscular fox's waist right enough to knock the air out of him. “Too tight! Too tight!” he quickly spoke with a raspy voice, and although the rabbit loosened her grip on his waist, she didn't release her hold on her fox, and soon found herself resting her head on his muscular torso. “Good god, Jen, if you held me that tight any longer, I might've suffocated under your grip”, he commented with a light hearted chuckle, a gently smile forming on his muzzle before leaning his upper body upward.

Matt wraps his arms around his bunny and rests his head on top of hers, his eyes closing and his left set of fingers brushing through her long, dark brown/blonde colored hair. He was finally back home, and he was finally back to be with his bunny. Jenny's left hand-paw releases his hold from Matt's back and clenches it into a fist. Her corresponding arm soon began shaking and immediately starts slamming her fist against his chest, the fox letting a surprisingly painful yelp out of his mouth.

“Matt! You stupid, dumb fox!” Jenny yelled with tears streaming down her face, repetitively hitting his chest with her left clenched fist much to Matt's surprise. “Do you realize how worried I was? How scared I was? You could've gotten yourself killed!!” she shouted with sob. “I could've lost you! I could've-” she was about to continue, but the fox suddenly grabs her left arm with his right hand-paw.

“Jen! Listen to me!” Matt yelled, albeit with a reassuring tone. “Look, I'm here, I'm not hurt, and I have no intention on dying anytime soon”, the fox added with a light hearted chuckle before gently cupping her right cheek with his left hand-paw. “And I have no intention on leaving my-” he was about to continue, but as soon as he saw the claw marks on her left cheek. His eyes widened at first upon seeing this, but they narrow and his brows furrow at the wound. “Who did this?” he asked calmly, but with a serious tone in his voice. The rabbit's eyes widen as soon as he asked, but soon close and turns her head to the right.

“Matt… it… it was an accident…” Jenny answered hesitantly, but the fox gently turns her head to face him, his jade green eyes gazing into her sapphire colored ones.

“Don't lie to me”, Matt replied with a serious tone, albeit calmly nonetheless. “Jenny, I've grown up with the slummiest parts of Zootopia for nearly half of my life, and in Kawasabus almost four years now. I've seen mammals get beaten and killed on the streets! And this…” he paused for a moment and traces the tip of his thumb over the grotesque, red-purple toned, bruised wound gently, but that didn't stop the bunny from letting an involuntarily hiss escape her mouth. “This was no accident. You were assaulted”, at this point, the rabbit let out a sigh and began shaking her head. There's no point in holding it back, she might as well tell him. Her hand-paws tightly clutch one another and her eyes close, tilting her head down and slowly shook her head a couple times. “Jen… who did this to you?” he asked, his tone now concerned and pleading. He had to know the one responsible for assaulting his girl. He had to know…

“En… Enishi…” at the moment Jenny mentioned the assailant's name, the fox's ears perk up and his eyes widen at the mentioning of the name. “Th-there was an alteration between Tomoe and Enishi happening inside the house while I was trying to pull some of the crops out. I-I don't know how, but he somehow managed to find out where we lived”, she stuttered despite her best attempts to trying to tell him what had transpired earlier that day. “I started arguing with him after he started making threats and nasty remarks about you, then the next thing I know, he struck the left side of my face with his… with his…” she couldn't explain it anymore, because she immediately found her lips quivering and fresh tears streaming down her face. Matt immediately sprung into action and pulls the bunny, his bunny, into a tight, comforting embrace.

Despite the warmth he was providing for the tender embrace, no words left the fox's mouth. His mind was clouded with a mixture of thoughts. Why would one of his own relatives do this to his girl? How the hell did Enishi find Tomoe's residence in the first place? What purpose did he have coming to the residence anyways? So many questions were crossing his mind. But all the questions were soon replaced with one single thought:

Find Enishi, and kill him!

With this particular thought in mind, his eyes close, his brows furrow angrily, growls began escaping his mouth, and he soon found himself snarling furiously. His hand-paws move to the rabbit's thighs and lifts her up enough to allow the fox to get back up onto his feet-paws instantly. Although his eyes remain shut, his head immediately at the direction where the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader stood.

“Thrandeer, I need you to look up Enishi's address for me”, Matt spoke with a low growl in his voice, something that instantly caught Jenny (and admittedly Thrandeer) by surprise.

“Matt-”

“ **NOW!!** ” Matt snapped furiously, his eyes reopening and glaring directly at the deer almost as if he felt the fox's sword piercing right through his body. But what he didn't expect was the color of his eyes to change color. His eyes were no longer the jade green color he became familiar with, but were now a golden yellow color, and they were burning in a flame of fury. When he didn't get a response, the fox turns away from the tall buck and began emitting a deathly growl from his mouth. “Fine! If you're not gonna find him, I'll do it myself!” with those words coming out of the Battousai's mouth, Jenny's eyes widen at the deathly sharpness of his tone. Never before had she heard him speak at anyone with such a tone. Until this evening.

“Matt, what are you doing?!” Jenny asked, but inside of her mind, she instantly knew what he was planning.

“To kill Enishi… to may him pay for what he did to you”, and with that response, Matt began marching towards the grassy parking spot with his left hand-paw gripping the sheath of his katana. That particular statement and the sight of him gripping the sheath of his blade caused Jenny's eyes to widen with shock.

“Matt, DON'T!” Jenny shouted right as she sprints towards the fox and wraps her arms around his right arm. But as soon as she said that did the fox spin around and glare at the rabbit with his piercing, golden yellow eyes that burned with pure, deathly malice. Her body immediately tenses at this and even her arms jerk back slightly. She did not expect to see eyes like those.

The eyes of an Animal Slayer about to go berserk at any moment.

“Matt, listen to me”, Jenny began, her heart pounding hard in her chest out of fear and concern. She was scared to lose him, scared of the eyes he bore, scared that he's drawing closer to becoming an unrepentant killer. But most of all, she was worried that her reason may not go through to him. Even if she couldn't reason with him, she had to try! “I know you're extremely pissed about what Enishi did, and I don't blame you for it. But you've just got home”, the rabbit continued, yet her voice began to crack with emotion to the point she hangs her head slightly, her eyes soon looking down at the ground below her. “Please don't go after Enishi, Matt. He's not worth it”, she pleaded, her hand-paws grabbing a hold of Matt's right hand-paw before looking back up with her glossy eyes. “Please…” she reasoned and quickly felt a couple tears stream down her face, her sapphire blue eyes gazing directly at Matt's golden yellow eyes.

The fox himself remained stood as he was, his eyes narrowed at the rabbit and his brows furrowed just the same. His right hand-paw, while still clenched, had started to loosen slightly upon hearing her reasoning. His brows began to raise slightly, and soon lost the snarl on his muzzle. His eyes close and began taking in deep breaths through his nose. The vulpine's shoulders shrug up and down in correlation with his breathing, yet began slowing down as the seconds pass by. Then at last, his eyes reopen and gaze directly at the rabbit before him, the golden yellow color having faded back into their jade green color.

“Alright…”, Matt began calmly with a nod. “I won't go after him”, he added, much to the rabbit's relief, with the fox giving her gentle, barely noticeable smile. The bunny soon began getting emotional before him as tears began to stream down her face and her body started shaking. The fox lets a soft, hearty chuckle leave his mouth and opens his arms for the emotional bunny. “Alright, c'mere”, the rabbit walks towards her fox right after those words left his mouth, her arms quickly wrapping his waist and the fox's arms wrapping around her shorter body. “Alright, oh, you bunnies, you're so emotional” the fox cooed gently right before using his right set of fingers to brush through her hair gently, making the rabbit let out a few chuckles towards his comment.

The two lovers remain in the embrace for at least another forty five seconds before looking at one another in a locked gaze. Their eyes glisten in the evening skies like jewels glistening from the constant flickers of a flame. Their heads slowly move towards one another and their eyes slowly close. And in a moment, their eyes close completely and the interspecies couple lock lips with one another for the first time since his return. Oh, how he missed the sweet taste of white plums on her lips. The kiss lasted for a good twenty seconds before the two mammals break part their lips from one another, with Jenny resting her head on his chest and the fox resting his head on hers.

Completely unaware to the two mammals, however, Thrandeer had just got off the phone with one another and quickly began walking towards the two lovers. And with the stern, serious face he bore on him, whatever conversation he had with the mammal he spoke with on the phone, it did not sound good.

“Jen, I'm-”

“Matt, Jenny! I hate to interrupt your tender moment, but I have received a grave update from one of our members back at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp nearby”, Thrandeer interrupted calmly, but urgently enough to where it caught Matt and Jenny's attention.

“What happened?” Matt asked quickly with a serious tone and a similar expression. His left arm wraps around the bunny's waist and unconsciously pulling her closer towards him protectively.

“An incident occurred at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp around the time Iizuka gave you the false order, but it seems the situation is starting to get out of hand”, Thrandeer began calmly, yet his eyes narrow slightly to add emphasis on how serious he was about the news. “However, I cannot tell you where we stand. But I can inform you as to what happened on the way there”, the deer replied, much to the surprise of both Jenny and Matt. “I understand we've just returned to New Otsu just now, but I have to borrow your services once more if we are to handle the situation properly”, the deer finished, the two lovers look back at each other right as Jenny's eyes look up at his pleadingly, pleading him to return to the residence with her and Tomoe. His eyes narrow at her gently and his brows point upward, his left hand-paw cupping her right cheek as gently as possible.

“Jen…” Matt began softly, with the rabbit slowly cupping her lover's hand-paw and closing her eyes gently. His brows furrow gently right before turning his head towards the clan leader. “Thrandeer, I'll lend you my skills once more. However…” he paused before turning to his bunny with a gentle grin forming on his face. “I'd feel a lot better if Jenny accompanied me on this one”, the instant he said those words, Jenny's eyes widen slightly and a soft smile began to form on her face.

“Matt, I don't think that's-”

“I understand your concern, Thrandeer, I really do”, Matt interrupted, his attention turning back towards the deer. “But as I said, I'd feel a lot better of Jenny was with me on this one”, the fox continued, but paused only for a moment and turns back to his bunny. “And as you mentioned earlier on the chopper, I have been dying to see my bunny after all”, he genuinely recalled with a chuckle, having remembered the clan leader calling Tomoe when they were less than half an hour away from New Otsu. Jenny couldn't help but smile gently at her lover before standing up on her toes and planting a gentle kiss on his left cheek, just under where the slash scar was located.

Thrandeer's eyes gaze at the interspecies couple for at least another moment before closing his eyes. He'd much prefer to have Matt come alone, regardless to the fact that he understood him needing the be with his bunny. With a defeated sigh, the deer reopens his eyes and gently smiles at the couple.

“Very well, Matt, I'll let her come with us”, Thrandeer replied, yet quickly motions his head towards a black, bear sized limo. “Now then, we must get going”, and with that, the clan leader, along with Matt and Jenny, start walking to the limo that was waiting for them. The clan leader grabs his phone and began typing up a message to Tomoe, telling her that not only Matt and Jenny would be riding with him, but for her to tag along as well. For whatever reason, only Thrandeer knew.

The trio arrive to the limo as Thrandeer opens the left back seat door, allowing the two smaller mammals to jump into the car and climb onto the corresponding leather seats. Jenny climbs onto his lap and the fox wraps his muscular arms around his girlfriend's waist. The fox rests his head on hers right as the clan leader climbs in and takes a seat at the back, closing the door behind him prior to buckling himself in.

“So what exactly happened at the camp?” Matt asked, his eyes narrowed slightly and his brows furrowed with a serious expression on his face. The clan leader turns his attention to the couple with a similar expression and leans his upper body forward, his hand-paws grasping one another as he did.

“Something happened to one of the predator members at the camp nearly several hours ago, roughly around the time you were in Zootopia trying to save your brother”, Thrandeer began right as the driver places the key into the ignition and turns it forward.

“What do you mean?” Matt asked with a curious tone right before the driver presses the gas and began driving to the Ishin-Mirkwood camp.

“From what I was told, one of the predator members of our clan had suddenly gone feral for reasons nobody could determine”, Thrandeer answered, much to Matt and Jenny's surprised confusion.

“Feral?” Matt and Jenny asked simultaneously with surprise in their tones.

“How could that be possible?” Jenny asked. “Not a single mammal acted like that for thousands of years”, she claimed with a cocked brow.

“And now you're telling us he's reverted back to his primitive ways?” Matt asked with a calm sense of bewilderment, yet also cocked a curious brow at the clan leader's claim.

“Yes”, Thrandeer answered with a nod. “And from what I was told, the predator was having pain on his neck before he had gone feral. He tried to attack some of the smaller predator and prey members, but fortunately, the others were able to subdue the mammal before anybody was harmed”.

“Well that's good news at least”, Jenny replied with a sigh of relief at the mentioning of no one being harmed by the feral predator.

“Yes”, Thrandeer gave her a nod with his response. “We were able to place the mammal inside one of the glass holding cells shortly after he was subdued. However, I have been recently made aware he had woken up in the same feral state”, the deer continued. “Luckily enough, the glass cell he's being contained in is durable enough to hold him off for the time being. But even with that being the case, we do not know how long it'll last before he manages to break through”.

“And let me guess, you're needing me to assassinate him if things get out of hand?” Matt asked.

“If things turn for the worse, yes”, Thrandeer confirmed. “However, if its at all possible, I'd much rather find a way to rid him of whatever caused him to become savage”, the deer added following a sigh, closing his eyes and using his right hand-paws to rub his temples.

“I see…” Matt nodded with understanding at the last part, and he honestly couldn't blame him. He's much rather rid the catalyst of the predator's feral behavior than ending the member's life, but if necessary, then he'll do whatever he has to do. However, there is one thing he still needed to ask. “Who was the one who became feral?”

“Hideaki Akiyama”, Thrandeer replied, the fox cocking a surprised brow at the deer.

“The Ishin-Mirkwood Clan's second in command?” Matt asked with surprise in his voice, clearly not expecting a high ranking official to go feral unexpectedly.

“That's correct…” Thrandeer answered following a sigh. “I don't know if he somehow reverted back to his primitive, savage ways, or if some other force caused him to become feral. But whatever the cause, we must deal with the situation before it gets worse”, and with that, the fox and rabbit nod in agreement before everything goes silent.

Instrumental Japanese music accompanied the silence of the limo Jenny, Matt, and Thrandeer rode in, all three of them remaining in complete, uneasy thought regardless if the peaceful music was playing on the radio or not. In the minds of Thrandeer, Matt, and Jenny, all of them were wondering the same set of questions: How the hell did Hideaki revert back to his primitive ways? Was the cause biological, or had another force caused him to behave such a manner? That particular train of thought caused the rabbit to cringe, but despite her instincts yelling 'Danger!', she knew better than to assume biology had something to do with it. Not to mention she was practically dating a predator as it is. Her head rests against the fox's muscular chest and wraps her arms around his waist, her eyes closing and allowing her to rest peacefully.

* * *

 

Ten minutes had come and pass since they had departed from the New Otsu Airfield, and the limo, along with a few other vehicles, were approaching the New Otsu Ishin-Mirkwood camp gates. The Ishin-Mirkwood camp itself much resembled that of a flatland castle in Kyoto, yet with some different features. For instance, they were about to arrive at the black iron gates where the karamon entrance was, with a male patrol guard dressed in a security officer uniform began to approach them. The driver of the limo rolls down the window enough to show his identification, thus enabling the guard to open the gates with a press of a button on the remote he carried. The limo driver presses on the gas gently and passes through the open gates, thus the driver, along with the three mammals in the back, enter the property of the flatland castle-like camp.

The sight of the camp itself was admittedly beautiful to the point neither Matt nor Jenny could comprehend. The grass and the neatly trimmed evergreen trees accompanied much of the twenty acre property, along with several beautifully crafted, three story housing temples that could house up to fifty Ishin-Mirkwood clan members at once. If Matt and Jenny didn't know better, they would've assumed this was a university campus heavily influenced on Japanese architecture. But their attention shifts away from the housing temples and towards a huge, five story facility that much resembled the Tō-ji pagoda temple in Kyoto, Japan, yet the width and length of the temple-like building matched the length of a football field.

And with their attention shifted towards the temple-like facility did the limo park in its designated parking spot, allowing Thrandeer to open the large car door and step out of the vehicle. Matt and Jenny quickly follow and were completely marveled at the sight of the property they now bestowed upon. Who wouldn't be marveled by such a sight in the first place?

Now was not the time to look at the sight they stood upon, however. Work needed to be done and the incident needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. Thrandeer began leading Matt and Jenny to the front doors of the facility right at the moment Tomoe along with the second limo driver park their vehicles and step out of the car. They drew closer to the entrance, but right as they were thirty yards away from the entrance did they see a familiar face step out of the facility… a face Matt had recently began to despise since his brother, Nick, had been attacked.

“Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding”, Matt spoke with a simultaneous face-palm to his head. “What the hell's Iizuka doing here?” he growled lowly enough for only Jenny and Thrandeer to hear. And while Jenny was unaware of what Iizuka had done, the clan leader, on the other hand, knew quite well what he meant.

Iizuka had just exited the Ishin-Mirkwood facility for an unidentified reason, a stern, urgent look being apparent on his face. Whether it was genuine or not, no one but the tanuki himself knew. The examiner of executions was currently sporting a dark cerulean blue hakama shirt along with a pair of olive green hakama pants, with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. The tanuki's long, black hair was, for the most part, tied back with a small, white ponytail, with his medium length bangs remaining free and brushed to the sides of his head. His forearms along with the back of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of black samurai bracers. Lastly, a pair of swords were attached to the left side of his body via hakama pants belt, the long one being his katana and the shorter one being a wakizashi.

And now that he was outside, the tanuki spots the group and rushes towards them, all while waving at them to get their attention.

“Well, about time you've returned, Chief! The savage predator's getting more rowdy by the second”, Iizuka claimed before turning his attention towards the fox, a gentle half-smirk forming on his face. “And glad you've returned as well, Matt. I hope things at Zootopia worked out well for you I hope”, the tanuki continued. Matt's right hand-paw clenches into a fist and the fox soon found himself growling softly enough to where almost no one could hear… almost. Jenny catches this quickly and gently wraps her arms around his right arm, the fox turning to face the rabbit with the same look he bore on his face when looking at the approaching tanuki at first. But when his jade green eyes laid upon Jenny's sapphire blue pair, his expression softens and his eyes slightly widen. He nods gently at his bunny reassuringly and turns back to face the tanuki, albeit with a stern look on his own face. If his bunny wasn't here, things would've turned out differently.

Much differently…

“You could say that…” Matt answered calmly, albeit with a hint of disdain in his voice. “Now let me ask you something, Iizuka”, the fox began, his left hand-paw grasping a hold of his sheath and resting his thumb on the guard of his katana. “You've claimed Thrandeer told you to give me the order to kill one of my own family, yet the clan leader had proven otherwise…” the fox continued with a light snarl. “So let me ask you this. Did someone happen to give you the wrong information when you called me earlier, or did you think it would be a good idea to deliberately reword the order _**you**_ saw fit, all while happening to put on a good face for the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas in Zootopia?”, and with that, the vulpine crosses his arms and glared at the tanuki standing just several feet in front of him.

“I've misheard what one of the other members told me. All I did was relay the message and nothing more. But one thing was clear: anybody who discovered the Savanna Heights Complex killings had to be eliminated, that was certain”, Iizuka claimed with a stern look on his face, the fox merely glaring at the tanuki with a snarl. But as he glared at the examiner of executions, he could've sworn he saw a couple beads of sweat forming on Iizuka's forehead. “Besides, you don't want the others to know who the Battousai really is, don't you? Especially your own brother?”, with those words leaving his mouth along with his eyes narrowing and a smirk forming on his face, Matt's anger had reached its boiling point. His right hand-paw quickly grasps the hilt of his blade, but Jenny quickly grabs her lover's right hand-paw and the clan leader quickly steps between the two.

“Alright, knock it off, you two! We do not have time for discord!” Thrandeer snapped, albeit as calmly as possible despite how annoyed he was with the growing alteration, especially with Iizuka being here as well. His eyes gaze down at the tanuki and narrows his eyes at the short predator. “As for you, Iizuka, I suggest you make yourself clear of this place for the time being and go home. I will deal with you later”, the deer ordered, yet the tanuki didn't react to his warning. But nonetheless, he scoffs softly with his eyes closed and walks away from the scene. He turns his attention back to the interspecies couple and motions his head to the entrance. “Lets go”, with the order given, Thrandeer, Matt, and Jenny continue walking towards the entrance and enter the five story facility, with Tomoe and several others joining in soon after.

With the group entering the facility, Matt and Jenny glance at the well crafted interior, particularly the Japanese paintings that reside on the walls, along with the black marble flooring under them. The temperature was rather pleasant to say the least, not being too warm nor too cold, but just at the right degree. If there wasn't a situation at hand right now, the two interspecies lovers would have no problem getting a tour of the facility. Speaking of the situation, their ears flicker to the sound of two pairs of footsteps coming from the north, their heads tilting upward and noticing two predatory mammals heading their direction.

A timber wolf and a North American river otter were currently rushing towards the group as hastily as they could. The wolf himself was a slender, yet muscular built timber wolf bearing a mixture of brown, gray, and white fur, with hints of black around the back of his ears. While taller than both Matt and Jenny, the wolf was still shorter than Thrandeer, being roughly about five feet six inches in height. One interesting trait the wolf bore were the eyes he had, the left eye being an emerald green color and the right being an icy blue color to create an interesting contrast with one another. The otter himself was of a slender build, bore mostly brown fur with tan around the muzzle area, and a pink nose. His eyes glisten an amber color and covered with a pair of rectangular, red-framed glasses resting on his short muzzle. He was the shortest of the two, the otter being about two feet four inches in height, just a bit shorter than the English-born rabbit herself.

One thing that the two men had in common were the clothes they were and the katana/wakizashi sword pair they carried, although the weapons were proportionate to their sizes. Their clothing consisted of a black three-fourths sleeved athletic shirt, a pair of olive green cargo hakama pants, and a pair of black open toe combat boots, the leg openings of their pants being tucked into the boots themselves. Their long, almost fur matching hair was mostly tied back in a high pony tail, with the exception of their medium-long length bangs flowing freely in front of them. Their forearms and the back of their hand-paws, like many others, were covered in a pair of black samurai bracers.

As soon as the deer spotted the two mammals approaching them, the clan leader narrows his eyes at the two slightly to emphasize the seriousness filling the atmosphere.

“Takeshi Sagamori, Emmitt Otterton, what news do you bring me?” Thrandeer asked calmly, yet the solemn tone he bore was enough to thicken the darkening atmosphere in the facility.

“Hideaki's becoming more aggressive with each passing second. I don't know how much longer the glass cell will hold him”, Takeshi answered with solemn urgency in his voice.

“We have several other Mammals patrolling the area as we speak, but we do not know if they'll be able to withstand the beast if he manages to break out”, Emmitt added, yet his amber eyes quickly glance at the jade green pair Matt bore. “We're glad you've returned, Battousai. We can use your assistance right about now”.

“I understand”, Matt replied with a nod, his eyes narrowing and his brows furrowing seriously. “Lead the way, Emmitt”, as soon as the fox said that to the otter, Emmitt nods at the fox and quickly turns a hundred eighty degrees, the wolf quickly doing the same before the three Ishin-Mirkwood assassins start darting down the hall. Jenny and the others quickly follow the assassins and eye their movements carefully, soon turning left at the end of the hall. And right as they turned did they hear the loud shattering of glass coming from the large room at the end of the hall, following the shocked cries of the occupants inside. And that meant one thing:

The savage predator had broken free from its prison.

“Shit! Hideaki's must've broken free from his cell!” Emmitt growled right as he, Matt, and Takeshi suddenly increase the pace of their sprinting as much as they could, the three assassins quickly reaching the end of the hall and entering the large room. And what they saw quickly stops them on their tracks.

Within a matter of less than twenty seconds, from the moment the shattering glass and the cries were heard, the savage predator had managed to slay roughly five others mammals, both predator and prey alike, with just the use of his claws. Hideaki Akiyama was a white furred Siberian tiger bearing black stripes on his body. His body was strongly built to the point his rippling musculature definition could be seen even though his own fur. The tiger was almost seven feet in height, and looked to be somewhere within his middle to late thirties. Blood coated his forearms and his muzzle nearly to their entirety, yet that wasn't the only sight that caught their attention. What also caught their attention was the fact that the black irises in his piercing emerald green eyes were turned to slits, and they were glaring directly at them.

With his sights set on the three assassins who walked in, the savage predator leans forward and raises his hind up a bit like a predator preparing for its next kill. The tiger waits patiently and his savage eyes narrow at his targets, not caring about seeing the three assassins quickly unsheathing their blades from their sheaths. His savage mind only cared about one thing, and one thing alone: the need to kill.

Growls began escaping the back of the tiger's mouth as the feline began snarling at the three assassins before him. And with that snarl, the savage predator leaps forward with his claws unsheathed and ready for the kill. Unfortunately for him, however, the three assassins managed to dodge the attack a moment before it could strike either of them. The predator hits the wall face first with a loud ' _ **crack**_ ' accompanying the impact, with the feeling of chipping teeth accompanying the savage beast right after he hit the wall face first.

“Jesus! What the hell's wrong with him?” Matt exclaimed with a pair of stern eyes, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword with both hand-paws. The predator quickly turns towards Matt's direction right at the moment Thrandeer, jenny, Tomoe, and several others enter the room and notice the horrific scene before them. Five mammals lay dead inside of the room while several others surrounded the scene, including the ones who just walked into the room as an attempt to isolate the savage beast.

“Be careful, Matt! He's already killed five of our own as it is”, Emmitt warned, his eyes glaring at the fox before the vulpine gave a nod at him.

“I will!”, Matt replied quickly right before darting towards the other side of the room as swiftly as possibly, the tiger following suit and keeping his eyes on his target. The fox narrows his eyes at the savage tiger and clenches the heft of his sword tightly, much like how the tiger crouches down as if he were about to attack his prey. Suddenly, the savage predator leaps forward and was about to strike down Matt. But the attack never went through, because the instant the savage mammal tried, someone had managed to strike the left side of his face with a flying kick. The tiger slams against the wall as a result of the kick, but quickly makes a recovery and turns towards left, his eyes gazed at the wolf who struck him.

“You will not harm Matt Wilde!” Takeshi growled, moving his left foot back and aiming his blade directly at the fallen beast, both hand-paws clutching the hilt of the sword tightly in an attempt to stabilize the precision of his weapon. And with a loud growl leaving his muzzle, the wolf suddenly starts sprinting towards the savage animal with the intent to kill.

Unfortunately, his attack would never pass, because right as Takeshi got close, the savage tiger strikes the wolf diagonally across the face, the injury starting from just on top of is left brow and ending just under his right eye. The wolf howls in agonizing pain after he was struck by the tiger and was knocked onto nearly ten yards back, painfully landing on his back and sliding backwards against the marble floor for another three yards. Emmitt and Matt's eyes widen at the sight and quickly rush to Takeshi's aid, but a particular rabbit manages to beat them to it.

“I've got Takeshi, Matt! Take care of the Hideaki”, Jenny exclaimed with a serious expression on her face. But she wasn't gonna get Takeshi out of the way alone, however, for Emmitt reaches the wolf and grabs one of his arms.

“Let me lend you a hand, miss”, Emmitt replied quickly, the bunny turning to the otter and nods gently at him with a thankful gesture. And together, the two begin dragging the agonizing wolf out of the way as Matt shifts his attention back to the savage beast.

“Alright, looks like its just you and me now”, Matt commented with a soft smirk, his eyes glaring at the primitive mammal fifteen feet away from his position. The hilt of his blade remains gripped on his right hand-paw, and the blade reflects the tungsten lighting cleanly. His eyes narrow at the beast before him and the savage mammal narrows his primitive eyes just the same. Matt raises his left arm in front of him and rests his blade perpendicularly in front of it, the back of his sword resting on his forearm and the sharp side pointing at the predator in front of him. Then, all was still, and not a single one dared to move. The prolonging silence was almost becoming unbearable for everyone occupying the room.

But the silence did not last for much longer, because the tiger lets out a loud roar and suddenly leaps towards the fox's direction. Matt, however, quickly follows suit and prepares to strike the savage mammal down with his blade. He wasn't so lucky, unfortunately, because as soon as he was about to slash the tiger did the savage mammal strike the fox's right side. And to make matters worse, the force of his attack was enough to knock Matt right through the glass cell the savage beast once occupied, even through the glass wall on the other side of the cell surprisingly enough. But with that attack, the savage mammal manages to render the fox unconscious with several shards of glass sticking out on his arms and a few on his legs.

“MATT!” Jenny shouted with shock right before running towards the fox as fast as she could. The others tried to stop her, but to no avail. She was just too damn fast for them. But right as she was about to turn right where Matt was located, the tiger suddenly darts right through the cell and several feet in front of the rabbit. She involuntarily stops dead on her tracks and unintentionally falls backwards, slowly crawling backwards from the crouching predator glaring at his prey.

“Jen-!” Tomoe exclaimed and began to rush towards the rabbit, but the clan leader grabs a hold of the vixen and stops her dead on her tracks. She quickly turns around and prepared to verbally lash out at Thrandeer, but the deer looks down at her sternly for a moment before turning towards the others.

“I want all Ishin-Mirkwood clan members to draw their blades, but do not attack until I give the order!” Thrandeer ordered sternly, where every clan member and assassin in the large room, predator and prey alike, drew their blades. The clan leader did not draw his, however, for he had made a promise with an ally of his to never draw his sword again unless absolutely necessary. But that didn't stop him from grabbing the hilt of his long katana though, just in case.

While all the available clan members drew their blades, Jenny continued to slowly crawl backwards away from the savage predator. Her nose was twitching in fear, her ears were perking upward, and her eyes were wide open and filled with fear. She was beyond terrified. And with her lover unconscious, she honestly didn't know what to do anymore.

Tears were starting to form in her eyes and began streaming down her face shortly after forming. Her eyes remain directed at the savage mammal in front of the rabbit, noticing the tiger stretching his digits for a brief moment along with the snarl the predator bore on her face. And the sight of those large, pointy teeth, her fear increased tenfold.

With a loud growl leaving the savage's throat, the white Siberian tiger suddenly leaps forward and unsheathes his black claws. Jenny's brows arch upward in fear, just like how wide her eyes were shot open. A loud, frightened shriek suddenly fills the room, all of the mammals inside the room turning towards the rabbit after hearing her scream. Time began to slow, and the bunny found herself turning away from the savage predator with her eyes closed and arms raised in front of her. She was waiting for her inevitable death to happen.

But death did not claim her, nor did the tiger's claws come into contact with her body at all. Confused by this revelation, the rabbit's eyes reopen and slowly turns towards the front, and what she saw completely surprised her to the fullest extent.

Her lover, Matt Wilde, had somehow managed to get in front of the lion and had managed to pierce his blade right through the underside of the savage mammal's jaw and through the top of Hideaki's head. With the fox tightening his hold on the hilt of his sword, he pulls the blade towards his direction and cuts right through the tiger's face, blood splattering across the area they occupied and the savage mammal's body collapsing onto the floor. Now that the primitive mammal was dead, the rabbit instantly knew her fox had successfully managed to kill the predator swiftly. But most importantly…

He had saved her life.

The fox's breathing grew heavier in correlation with the shrugging of his shoulders. His shrugs slowed down in complete synchronization with his breathing, and soon came to a stop. And with the fox's breathing returning to normal, along with a flick of his blade, he turns to face his rabbit with a pair of golden yellow eyes at first. However, the golden yellow eyes of an animal slayer return to the innocent jade green color Jenny became familiar with… the eyes she grew closely fond of. No longer were his eyes filled with blood lust, but with the concern for the well being of one's mate.

“Are you alright?” Matt asked with a concerned tone, sheathing his blade and slowly approaching his lover. Jenny's eyes gaze directly at Matt's own and nods gently at the fox while the vulpine kneels down and began unzipping his jacket.

“Yeah… thanks to you”, Jenny answered softly right before the fox covers the rabbit with his jacket, some of the glass shards having fallen onto the floor after removing the jacket despite a couple remaining on his muscular arms. The rabbit notices the few shards of glass remaining on his arms along with the few on his legs. “What about you, Matt? You've got glass sticking out on your arms”, she said, but right after she spoke, the fox looks at his arms and uses his hand-paws to pull the ones on his arms out, ignoring the stinging pain as a result of his actions.

“I'm alright, Jen. Its nothing serious”, Matt reassured with a nod prior to turning his attention towards the few shards of glass sticking out on his legs. “It's not the first time I had this happen to me, and I'm certain it won't be the last”, he claimed, pulling them out one by one and throws them to the side, again ignoring the pain and refocusing his attention on the rabbit. “All that matters is that you're safe”, and as he said those words, the fox wraps his arms around the bunny and pulls her into a tender hug, the rabbit wrapping hers around his neck in return.

“Matt…” Jenny spoke softly with a sigh of relief right before burying her face into his neck fur, shedding a couple tears and lightly soaking the fur on his tuft. Matt rests his head on top of hers before gently smiling. His digits gently brush through the silky smooth hair on her head as the proper means to comfort the woman before him.

As much as he wanted to continue comforting his bunny, he knew he couldn't stay in this position for much longer. After another minute of being in one another's arms, the fox releases his hold on his rabbit and turns towards the body of the formerly savage predator, which was now severed in half from head to the crotch region. Regardless of the bloody scene in front of him, his jade green eyes narrow and began searching along parts of his body. For the most part, all he could see was the fresh crimson red blood soaking much of his body, along with the torn clothes on his body. But right as he was about to turn away, a bluish speck on Hideaki's neck suddenly grabs his attention.

“What in the hell…?” Matt asked softly in confusion upon seeing the blue speck on the corpse's neck, gently leaning forward and reaching for it with his right hand-paw. Right as he did, the other members quickly approach them and look down at the corpse before them. But as his fingers were nearing the blue liquid, one of the mammal's eyes widen upon the sight of the substance.

“Don't touch it!!” Tomoe's voice suddenly shouted out, grabbing everyone's attention and causing Matt to jerk his hand-paw away almost instantly.

“Tomoe, you know what it is?” Matt asked in confusion, only for the vixen to turn towards her nephew and nod gently.

“Yeah, I know exactly what it is”, Tomoe confirmed, approaching the body closely and kneeling in front of it, in front of the same side where the blue speck was spotted.

“What is it?” Thrandeer asked upon approaching and kneeling next to the vixen, his eyes also glaring at the substance on his neck. Could this be the cause of Hideaki's savage behavior, he thought? Or was it a mere coincidence? But upon seeing Tomoe's serious expression on his face, he knew without a doubt he was about to receive his answer.

“Night Howlers…”


	21. Loving tranquility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Lemons will be in this chapter. Reader's discretion is advised
> 
> Edit: Recently fixed the name of a mentioned character and slightly changed the appearance of the mentioned character

_ **Loving Tranquility** _

  


Night Howlers…

Those two particular words constantly rung in the minds of all those who were inside of the room with Hideaki's corpse, especially those of Matt Wilde, Jenny Bunni, and Thrandeer Katzuma. The eyes of many Ishin-Mirkwood Neo-Imperialists remain fixed upon the dried, blue colored liquid speck on the tiger's neck. One particular question rang in the minds of all but the vixen's minds: Just what the hell were Night Howlers anyways? But their gaze soon shifted towards Tomoe, the vixen who had identified the substance found on the body, hoping she could provide an answer for the curious minds of all.

“Night Howlers?” Matt and Thrandeer asked simultaneously, the vixen's gaze shifting towards the two males.

“Yes”, Tomoe began with a soft sight. “Night Howlers is another name for Midnicampum Holicithias. They're flowers that tend to work as a pesticide when farming”, she explained, her eyes fixing themselves upon the body of Hideaki himself. “But if they were consumed by any means, however, they can cause psychological effects on the consumer, mostly primitive, savage-like behavior”, and as she said those words, the eyes of many mammals in the room widen and most of them began to chat amongst themselves regarding the topic.

“How is that possible?” Emmitt suddenly asked, his eyes remaining focused on Takeshi's facial wound and using a spare rag he had to clean the injury.

“Are predators being the only ones targeted by the Night Howlers?”

“Who's responsible for their creation?”

“Has an antidote been created to combat them?”

As Tomoe became bombarded with a series of questions relating to the Night Howlers, the vixen began looking at the various mammals asking them. They were asking so many questions, she couldn't possibly answer them in one go. But there was one in particular that stood out the most, one she could at least answer.

“How long do these effects usually last?” Matt asked, much to the vixen's relief. Tomoe raises her right hand-paw up and gestures for the clan members to quiet down, which all of them comply with a slight hint of reluctance.

“They usually last anywhere between seven to twenty four hours at the very most”, Tomoe explained, her eyes narrowing slightly at the corpse. “However, in high concentrations such as the speck on Hideaki's corpse, I can't say for certain. It could be weeks, months, even years before the effects wear off”, the vixen added with her explanation, much to the widening eyes of all mammals inside of the room.

“Years?!” many of the Ishin-Mirkwood clan members exclaimed simultaneously in shock, even Matt and Jenny had joined in upon asking that. But before the others could continue, Thrandeer raises his right hand-paw upwards and gestures his fellow clan members to remain silent. Now there was one question he had to ask the vixen.

“Is it possible the Neo-Shogunates could be using this to their advantage?” Thrandeer asked calmly, the vixen turning her attention to the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader.

“Its highly possible, since the former Neo-Shogunate governor was responsible for the creation of the Night Howler pellets in the first place”, as soon as Tomoe answered the clan leader's question, soft gasps from many of the clan members along with the soft chatter beginning amongst some of them. Although the deer wanted to pry a bit more on the matter, the clan leader nods with understanding and places his right hand-paw onto her left shoulder.

“Thank you for informing me on this”, Thrandeer thanked the vixen with a calm, genuine nod. “Now that I know someone within the Neo-Shogunate government is targeting predators with the Night Howlers, I'll send word to the Ishin-Lothlorien clan and inform them of this information”, the deer added before turning his attention to the muscular fox nearby. “Matt, before you leave the Ishin-Mirkwood camp, allow someone to tend to your wounds”, with those words, the fox nods with understanding and stands up onto his feet-paws, with one of the prey clan members, a male Thompson's Gazelle in particular, approaching the fox and leads him into the medical facility.

As the gazelle lead the fox into the medical facility inside the same building, Thrandeer approaches the injured wolf and lends him a helping hand, leading Takeshi into the medical room where the gazelle and Matt occupied. The gazelle was currently working on treating Matt's injuries by cleaning the wounds gently at first, then began stitching the wounds carefully with a thread and needle. Once the wounds were completely stitched and cleaned, the gazelle gently began wrapping them in gauze wraps and secures them with strong medical tape.

With his injuries tended to, the fox thanks the gazelle and began walking towards the exit, only to be stopped when he felt the clan leader's right hand-paw gently grabbing his left shoulder. Matt's eyes curiously gaze upward at the deer and places his hand-paws inside of his pockets.

“Thank you for your assistance, Matt”, Thrandeer said to him and receives a calm nod from the fox in return. “However, be wary of any Neo-Shogunate clans within the area. And if another incident like this one happens again, do what you have to do and notify me immediately”, with that, the fox nods a second time and walks out of the office, meeting back with both his girlfriend and his aunt, both of which had waited for him on a cushioned bench nearby.

“Lets get going”, Matt said calmly before beginning to walk through the hallway leading to the entrance of the facility, with Jenny and Tomoe nodding and following the vulpine male to the exit. Jenny catches up to her fox and wraps her arms around his left arm, her right set of fingers intertwining with Matt's left set. And with the rabbit resting her head on Matt's left arm, a gentle smile began to form on her face and her eyes close in content. Regardless of what in all had happened, she was happy that her fox was alive. But most importantly, she was happy that her fox was back home…

Happy that her fox was back to her.

As soon as they got outside of the facility, Tomoe heads for her car while Jenny and Matt head to the limo they rode in, the fox having to grab his duffel bag from the vehicle itself. After grabbing his bag, the fox and rabbit walk towards Tomoe's Hounda Civic and steps inside, both of them sitting in the back seat in each other's arms. And with the lovers resting in a tender embrace, the vixen pulls out of the parking lot and heads back to the house.

When they arrived back to the house, the three mammals head inside the two story home and quickly got settled, the male fox having set his belongings on the bed and grabbing a pair of clothes from the bag. Matt heads upstairs with the garments and enters the upstairs bathroom, placing his clothes onto the counter next to the sink and quickly undresses himself. With the shedding of his clothing, the muscular built fox steps into the shower stall and turns the hot shower on, cleansing himself of the blood that rests on his fur, fresh and dried alike. His eyes close and a relaxed sigh escapes from his muzzle. Man, was it good to be home or what?

Nearly twenty minutes later, the fox steps out of the bathroom and heads back downstairs to meet with his lover, sporting a pair of black pajama pants along with a dark gray, tight fitting tank top that showed much of the heavily defined musculature of his torso. He approaches the futon and lays down on the mattress, the bunny joining him moments later and wrapping her arms around the fox's neck, her attire consisting of a pair of black short nylon shorts and a cerulean blue tank top. Jenny's head rests on his built pectorals and closes her eyes, her ears listening to the soothing, rapid beating of her lover's heart. Matt's arms wrap around his bunny's waist tenderly and smiles in a similar manner, his own eyes soon closing and allowing the two lovers to fall asleep in the peaceful serenity of night.

* * *

 

_**The Next Morning…** _

The next morning, Matt and Jenny awoke from their tender slumber on the futon and lean upward, the fox having slept peacefully with his bunny last night. And with the morning sun shining against the windows, the two lovers look at each other and give one another a tender kiss on the lips.

“Morning, love”, Matt softly spoke lovingly at his bunny, following a giggle coming from the rabbit herself.

“Morning to you, too, beautiful”, Matt replied with a wink and instantly causing the rabbit to blush noticeably before his very eyes. He couldn't help but let a hearty chuckle out of his mouth before wrapping his left arm around her waist, pulling her into a tender embrace for at least a few good moments before releasing his hold on her.

“Lets go check on the crops and see if anymore of them are salvageable”, Jenny suggested and stands up onto her feet-paws, walking over to the back shoji door and sliding it to the left, walking outside with Matt following behind. He grabs a wool basket from the kitchen and brings it with him outside, both he and the rabbit walking towards the side garden and notice some of the unpicked crops within the area. And as soon as they get to the garden did the two get to work on plucking the spices plants and vegetables out of the garden.

Much of the work took a good forty five minutes at the very least, much of which having to wipe the plants off with their hand-paws and sorting out the salvageable vegetables from the unsalvageable ones. For the most part, more than eighty percent of them were salvageable, much to their relief. Matt couldn't help but smile gently at this with his brows pointing upward. He was clearly pleased, no, happy with the results of the short harvest, especially with how the last daikon radish the fox had pulled out.

“We've brought in a good harvest”, Matt commented while using his left hand-paw to wipe the dirt off of a daikon radish, his head soon turning towards the approaching bunny and seeing her bearing a gentle smile much like his.

“I know”, Jenny softly replied, carrying the basket containing the daikon radishes that were already picked and cleaned.

“Planting these crops was such an impulsive decision in the first place”, Matt commented honestly, recalling how much time he had to spend preparing the dirt for use along with planting the seedlings. But hey, the results were worth the time nonetheless.“We did much better than I thought we would…. Heh” and right after he finished his response, the fox throws the daikon radish inside the basket and stands up onto his feet-paws, since for the most part, he was on his knees trying to pluck many of the salvageable plants in the garden. But if there was anything that brought a soft smile on Jenny's face was the look Matt bore on his face.

He was completely at peace, despite all that happened in the past couple of days.

“C'mon, Matt, lets get these crops washed and get lunch going”, as soon as Jenny replied, the fox nods in agreement and walks back towards the house, wrapping his waist around his lover tenderly as he led her into the two story home.

* * *

 

The rest of Thanksgiving break went by swiftly, much to Matt and Jenny's disdain, but at least they were able to enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that week thanks to the short, but large harvest. Now that the week long break had come and passed, the two lovers continue working with their academic studies along with catching fish for their home-run business, 'Bunni and Wilde Fishing Co.'. And much like before, their business continued to run smoothly along with a bit of economic growth being added to the mix in terms of their revenue.

The seasons soon began to shift along with the passing of time, the fall season drawing closer towards the winter with rapidly dropping temperatures. And as the change of seasons came did Matt's winter coat come in, the fur on his body having thickened quite a bit to retain the heat of his body. And to say the least, Jenny had been enjoying his winter coat quite a bit, especially during the times she snuggled with her fox. More importantly, however, the injury on Jenny's cheek had healed completely as the weeks continue to pass like the shifting of seasons.

* * *

 

It was now the evening of December the Eighteenth, and the skies have become darker earlier due to daylight savings. Tomoe was currently in the kitchen preparing for dinner while Jenny was currently reading a manga on the futon. Matt was currently taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom after having cleaned the yacht since he and his girlfriend got out of school for Christmas Break.

Inside the kitchen, Tomoe was currently in the process of cooking Udon noodles, brown rice, and grilled chicken along with making preparations for Miso Soup. Her attire consisted of a purple colored kimono bearing flowers in various shades and tints of blue through much of the garment. The kimono itself was also slim fitting to the point it showed off the curves of her hips along with the perkiness of her C-cup breasts.

In the living room, the bunny was dressed comfortably in the warm living room and relaxing contently with a manga in her possession. Jenny's torso was covered by a tight fitting black T-shirt with an orange and cream colored fox head on the breast area. Speaking of her tits, because of the fact her shirt being a tight fit, her DD-cup breasts were perking out quite noticeably enough to attract the attention of any man who lay eyes on her. The orange colored words 'Handsome Fox' can be seen around the stomach area with a similarly colored arrow being printed under the words pointing towards the right. Much like her shirt, the bunny's midnight blue long john pants fit tightly around her legs, shaping every curve and detail of her legs nicely.

The manga Jenny was reading was a romantic themed book about an interspecies couple in the Meiji Era, coincidentally a fox and rabbit respectively. Similarly enough, the fox in the manga happened to be a former assassin turned wanderer after the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate. To her, it served as both a reminder of her relationship with Matt and how the fox in the manga related to the fox in the manga she read. It was an interesting coincidence, that it was.

But her trance on the manga came to a halt when her right ear perks at the sound of three loud knocks on the door. The rabbit places a bookmark on the manga and sets the book on the coffee table in front of the futon, standing up from the bed and began walking towards the front door. Her left hand-paw grips the doorknob carefully and twists it to the right. And the instant she opened the door, her eyes widen with pure shock upon seeing who were waiting outside.

Stu and Judy Hopps were both standing at the doorstep of Tomoe's residence, both rabbits happening carry a couple of small crates in their hand-paws. Stu was carrying a small crate containing carrots on him while Judy was carrying a slightly smaller crate containing blueberries.

Stu's attire consisted of a pair of blue denim overalls with a green and light green plaid shirt underneath, with a baggy brown hoodie being worn over his torso. A green hat with a carrot patched sewn on the front of his hat was worn on top of his head.

Judy's attire, on the other hand, consisted of a red and black plaid shirt with a midnight blue skinny fitting hoodie being worn over the torso. The garment itself was slim enough to show off the curves of her torso along with the perkiness of her small, B-cup tits. The black colored skinny jeans she wore were also a tight fit as well, which show off the curves of her hips and the perkiness of her ass. Lastly, her forearms and the back of her hand-paws were covered by a pair of black samurai bracers, which were covered by the sleeves of her jacket.

As surprising as it was to see the two, the presence of the two rabbits also brought a smile on Jenny's face as well.

“Oh my god! Stu! Judy!” Jenny exclaimed happily to the point she immediately wraps her arms around them both and pulls the two rabbits into a tender embrace, much to their pleasant surprise. Both Stu and Judy couldn't help but chuckle before Jenny releases her hold on them. “Its been a while since I've seen you both! How have you been?”

“Heh, pretty darn busy, I tell ya, sweetheart”, Stu answered with a light chuckle. “And how are things with you and… the fox?” he asked nervously, only for the English-born rabbit to lose her smile slightly and cock a slight brow at him.

“Um, Matt's doing alright, actually. He's taking a shower upstairs”, Jenny answered with a light chuckle, albeit an uncomfortable one after what Stu had called him. “What brings you here?”

“Business trip”, Stu answered, confusing the female rabbit at first before it suddenly dawned on her. “Look, I know you're telling us to get out of here, but unfortunately we can't do that until business is done”, he added with a calm sigh. “Plus we're here to deliver an order to a”, the male rabbit paused for a moment and uses his left hand-paw to dig inside of his left overall pocket and pull out a small piece of paper, his eyes reading the contents on the three by five inch sheet. “Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde”, after mentioning the name, Jenny turns towards the vixen in the kitchen and notices the older woman placing the chopped daikon radishes inside of the Miso Soup.

“She's actually in the kitchen getting dinner prepared, so you've honestly came at a good time”, Jenny claimed. “We've been needing some carrots to go with the Miso Soup she's brewing”, she added with a chuckle, but suddenly loses her smile and looks at the two rabbits with a calm, but fearful look on her face. “Before you come in, you don't happen to have any anti-fox products on you, right?”

“Um, no, actually”, Stu answered. “Oh, but we have some in the truck we can-”

“Oh no-no-no-no!” Jenny quickly interrupted while shaking her head and waving both of her hand-paws in front of them. Hell, even Judy turned towards her father while Jenny was speaking at the time. “Tomoe will not appreciate that”, the English-born rabbit claimed, placing her hand-paws. “And trust me on this: the last time someone brought and attempted to use anti-fox products against her, at her doorstep, mind you… lets just say that person ended up hospitalized and in the dentist's office”, the instant that left the rabbit's mouth did both Stu and Judy cringe at the thought.

“Ow…” Judy and Stu both replied, still cringing at the thought for a moment longer before they re-secure their grip on the small crates.

“Where would you like the crates, Jen?” Judy asked quickly with the need to change the topic quickly, a soft, slightly uncomfortable grin forming on her face and her brows pointing upwards.

“Hold on a sec, actually”, Jenny answered while turning her attention at Tomoe in the kitchen. “Tomoe! The Hopps' arrived with your order. Where do you want them to put it?” that caught the vixen's attention immediately and quickly causes the woman to turn to the front door.

“Oh! I wasn't expecting the shipment to come in today”, Tomoe claimed with a light chuckle, “They can place them on the table if they want. I'm needing to grab a couple carrots for the Miso Soup anyways”, after saying that, the English rabbit steps aside and allows the two other bunnies to walk into the house and directly towards the kitchen. The table had been a bit tall for the two, but with the help of Tomoe, they were able to get the crates onto the table without any difficulties. “I have to admit you two delivered them much quicker than I thought”, the vixen said with a gently, honest smile on her muzzle

“Don't worry about it, Ma'am! We do what we can to get the best delivered right at your door!” Judy replied with an enthusiastic wink.

“So I've heard from my nephew. He used to live in Zootopia for over half of his life before relocating here”, Tomoe responded with a gentle nod. “Anyways, I'm making more than enough food for all of us. Why don't you two join us for dinner? My treat!” the vixen suggested, and as tempting as the offer was, Stu wasn't exactly certain about it.

“Um, I don't know, Tomoe…”, Stu hesitatingly began, his eyes gazing away from her and reaching for the back of his head with his right hand-paw. “I appreciate the offer… but-”

“Oh, c'mon, Dad!” Judy interrupted, placing her hand-paws on her father's right arm gently, but almost pleadingly. “Look, I know we have a lot of work to do for the farm back in Bunnyburrow, but can we stay here for at least a couple of hours? It's been two months since I've last spoken with Jenny in person”, she asked with an expression much like a puppy begging for a treat. “Please?” she pleaded, and as much as the older rabbit wanted to get going, and out of a home full of a couple foxes, there was no way he could say no to that face. Then again, it has been quite some time since he last saw Jenny anyways.

“Well…” Stu began, but his train of thought was soon interrupted as soon as his stomach began growling. “Oh, alright”, he finally answered calmly and places his hand-paws inside the pockets of his jacket, his daughter's expression beaming with joy. “I haven't eaten anything since noon anyways”, the male rabbit finished with a light chuckle before suddenly being tackled into a hug by his daughter.

“Oh, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Judy exclaimed with a light amount of joy in her tone, soon removing her arms from her father and walking towards Jenny. The English-born rabbit leads the other female bunny to the futon she had occupied earlier and takes a seat in the middle of it, with Judy taking a seat at Jenny's right. “So what have you been up to these past couple of months?”

“Well aside from attending New Otsu High, not much”, Jenny began all while placing her hand-paws behind her head and laying back against the large futon she and Matt shared. “But since October, Matt and I had started our own fishing company, 'Bunni and Wilde Fishing Co.'”

“Really, now?” Judy asked with interest. “And how is that going?”

“It was slow and a bloody pain in the ass at first”, Jenny rolled her eyes with her reply. “But after a couple weeks, our business started growing economically and we've been making quite a lot of money, to say the least”, the English rabbit added with a proud smirk on her face.

“And what do you do on your part?” Judy asked.

“I mainly help Matt with setting up the lines to catch the fish and lend a hand with some of the packaging”, Jenny answered. “Matt takes care of catching the fish and cutting them for proper packaging”, she continued before pointing towards the vixen in the kitchen. “Tomoe sometimes lends a helping hand on her days off to help lighten the load. And trust me when I say this: she is quite efficient when it comes to working with Matt and I”, she added, right before her right ear perks upward and turning towards the direction of the stairs. “Speaking of Matt, he's coming down the stairs”, and with that, the two female rabbits turn towards the stairs and listen to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Hey Jen, have you seen my shirt anywhere around here?” Matt asked while he was walking downstairs drying himself off with a tan colored towel, sporting nothing but a pair of black pajama pants with white stripes on the sides and leaving his strongly defined muscular torso exposed. “I could've sworn I-”

“Oh my god, you're shirtless!” Judy suddenly exclaimed with pure shock, much to Matt's surprised, his and the eyes of everyone else quickly turning towards the flustered female gray rabbit sitting on the futon, just before turning towards the fox himself. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, and her shrunken, amethyst colored pupils were gazing directly at the strongly defined, muscular torso on Matt's body. And as shocked as he was, her face was becoming flustered to the point it was noticeable. But as the fox blinks in confusion, the bunny quickly shifts her attention towards Jenny with the same look on her face. “How the hell is he that defined?!” as she asked loudly, Jenny couldn't help but giggle before turning towards the folded black T-shirt on the coffee table and leaning forward to reach it.

“Well what can I say? He's certainly full of surprises”, Jenny joked with a giggle and causing the gray rabbit to furrow her brows with an annoyed gesture, even if her face was still flustered. The light brown rabbit turns her attention towards her lover and throws the shirt at him. “Alright, Matt. Put your shirt on before fluster bunny here gets even more flustered”, the rabbit continued with a light chuckle, the gray bunny's eyes glaring at Jenny right before the English bunny began giggling loudly. Matt's eyes gaze at Jenny in confusion shortly after he caught his shirt, but his mind quickly clicked on what she had done secretly and smirks at his bunny.

“Sly bunny”, Matt said to his bunny with a pair of half-lidded eyes.

“Dumb fox”, Jenny replied jokingly with a wink and a strong sense of fondness in her voice right, hearing the fox chuckle and watching him pulling the shirt over his muscular torso. The black shirt soon covers his muscular torso almost tightly along with the short sleeves covering his deltoid muscles similarly. On the chest area of his shirt bore the shape of a light brown rabbit head with the words 'Sexy Bunny' written under it, with a similarly colored arrow printed under the words and pointing towards the left. With his shirt on, the fox walks to the futon and takes the seat on Jenny's left, the light brown rabbit scooting closer towards her liver and gently grabbing his right hand-paw and intertwining her fingers with his.

“Am I missing something here?” Judy asked with a cocked brow and a smirk upon noticing Jenny grabbing Matt's hand-paw and intertwining it with her own. The two begin blushing slightly and the fox starts rubbing the back of his head with his left hand-paw, a few chuckles managing to leave the fox's mouth a moment later.

“You could say that”, Jenny began with a light chuckle, albeit a slightly nervous one at that. “You see, as of November the twentieth, Matt and I had become more than friends after he came clean about how he felt towards me…” the rabbit continued with a now flustered look on her face, much of the white and light brown fur on her cheeks burning a noticeable tint of red. However, she paused for a moment and turns her attention towards her fox. “And I'm glad he did, because it brought us closer than either one of us could've imagined, and gave us a bond neither of us thought possible”, and with that, the rabbit gently cups her lover's face and plants a gentle kiss on Matt's lips, the fox gently wrapping his muscular built arms around the bunny tenderly.

Both Stu and Judy Hopps gaze their attention at the two interspecies lovers with a genuinely surprised expression on their faces. Although interspecies were not unheard of, this was the first time they had witnessed an interspecies relationship between predator and prey, let alone between a fox and a rabbit. Initially surprised at first, Judy began to grin with half-lidded eyes and her right hand-paw covering the left side of her chest at the spot where her heart lied.

“Aw”, Judy cooed softly upon witnessing the light brown rabbit planting a kiss on her lover's lips, the two lovers soon breaking the kiss and turning their attention towards their former classmate. And while the gray bunny was (or appeared to be at least) accepting towards their relationship, Stu, on the other hand, wasn't so accepting. However, he wasn't against the two being in an interspecies relationship either, or at the very least, didn't dare to show it in order to avoid unintentionally causing a scene. “I had a feeling you two would end up getting together at some point after seeing you two dancing rather intimately with each other at the Kazuki-Mai Night Club”, with her response, she winked at the two lovers and both Jenny and Matt blush quite heavily from it. “But in all honestly, I'm happy for you both”.

“Heh, thanks, Judy”, Matt replied before turning his attention towards his girlfriend, his eyes half-lidded and plants a kiss on Jenny's forehead. But speaking of Judy, his eyes open fully and turns his attention directly at the gray rabbit sitting next to Jenny's right. “Speaking of the Kazuki-Mai, what's been happening at Kawasabus since Jen and I left the town?” he asked before cocking a curious brow at her. “And what are you and Stu doing in Kawasabus anyways?”

“Business Trip”, Stu and Judy simultaneously answered following a sigh leaving Stu's mouth.

“As I mentioned before, we can't leave Kawasabus until the darn trip's is finished, nor could we leave until the semester's done”, Stu began. “Fortunately, the semester's already finished and we've already started packing our things. Plus we got roughly a week left until our work here's done”, the older rabbit finished right before turning towards his daughter, with Judy turning her attention directly at the couple she sat next to.

“Ever since half of Kawasabus got burned to the ground, the Neo-Shogunate authorities, along with the local law enforcement working with them began purging out many of the radical extremists daily”, Judy began, pausing only brief enough to close her eyes. “Many of them were butchered on the streets by the Neo-Shinsengumi daily for over a month since the attack. Even a quarter of our graduating class is dead because of their involvement in the attack”, that update in particular caused the eyes of both Jenny and Matt to widen at that.

“Jesus Christ…” Matt uttered softly and slowly shakes his head a couple times. “What else?” as soon as he asked, he notices the gray rabbit's hand-paws gripping her thighs and even trembling slightly.

“Some of the radicals were arrested by the police within a week after the attack, but even after they were detained, they were forced to commit suicide in front of the new government officials. None of them were given a fair trial…” the way Judy was explaining this, the way she was trembling, how her nose twitched, and the way her lip quivered, both Jenny and Matt knew something had happened shortly after the Kawasabus attack. “Ken didn't even get a fair trial…” the gray rabbit uttered under her breath, her voice beginning to crack and her hand-paws shaking noticeably.

From what Matt and Jenny recalled, Ken was a three foot tall jack rabbit the fox had known and worked with in the Ishin-Mirkwood clan up until he and Jenny fled Kawasabus. Not only had the fox worked with him, but he was also a close friend of his since the first month he had joined the clan in December of 2005. Not only that, but he also knew Ken had been dating Judy since the start of Senior Year.

Ken bore similar fur colors to Judy with the exception of bearing three tiger stripe shaped markings on both of his cheeks. The male bunny bore spiky raven black hair that was medium-long in length, slightly longer than shoulder length. His body was of a slim, fairly muscular built, yet resembled more towards a track runner compared to a natural bodybuilder. But the feature that stood out the most was Ken's fiery orange eyes, which burned with a righteous passion much identical to a leaderless, pure hearted samurai.

Even if what Judy said regarding Ken was barely audible, Matt's ears perked at the name and looks at Judy with wide eyes.

“Oh no…” Matt began. “Judy… who captured Ken? Is he still alive?” he asked, though with the way she furiously shook her head, something told him he shouldn't have asked.

“The Neo-Shinsengumi captured him the day after you and Jen told us about the attack”, Judy answered. “They took him to the execution site in New Takagi and forced him to… forced him to…” she tried to continue, but it soon became too much for her to talk about and immediately buries her face into her hand-paws, tears flowing freely down her cheeks and soaking the palms of her hand-paws.

It was from there on both Jenny and Matt realized what had happened to him. Ken had been captured and executed by the Neo-Shogunate government, particularly the Neo-Shinsengumi. Matt's eyes narrow slightly and his hand-paws clench into tight fists, but Jenny gently wraps her arms around the gray bunny and pulls her into a tender hug. Matt began to snarl lightly with a light growl, but the light brown rabbit quickly catches this and gently places her left hand-paw onto his right forearm. This snaps the fox out of it and turns to face his bunny, now bearing a concerned look on his face and gazing at the two female bunnies sitting next to him. A calm sigh leaves his mouth and gently pulls the two rabbit's into a soft, comforting hug.

“I'm sorry for your loss…” Matt spoke as soothingly as he could in an attempt to comfort Judy. His eyes close right as Judy suddenly looks right up at him with narrow eyes and furrowed brows at first, but her expression softens once she saw a tear streaming down Matt's right cheek. The gray bunny wraps her left arm around the fox and her right around the light brown rabbit, both bunnies gently resting their heads against his chest with the gray bunny sobbing softly against his chest.

As both Jenny and Matt continue to comfort Judy as best as they could, Stu watches the trio with a mixture of emotions. On one hand, he wasn't particularly fond of a fox providing comfort towards his daughter, given the circumstances she had suffered from another fox barely over eight years ago. On the other hand, however, based on the look the fox bore on his face, the older rabbit could tell he had known Judy's deceased boyfriend in some way. So as much as he wasn't fond of the idea of a fox comforting his daughter, he knew it was best to let him comfort his daughter in anyway possible, not to mention Jenny was also comforting his daughter as well.

The tender, comforting embrace between the three lasted for another five minutes before the two broke away from one another, although Jenny rests her head against her lover's right arm. Judy was about to turn away from the two, but Jenny gently grabs the gray bunny and pulls her into a comforting embrace. Surprise by this at first, Judy soon found herself resting against Jenny's shoulder comfortably, closing her eyes contently and completely oblivious to the vixen walking into the living room.

“Dinner's ready”, as soon as Tomoe had said that, the three younger mammals nod at her before stepping off the futon and walking towards the kitchen table, with Stu nodding at the vixen and walking into the dining area with the others.

* * *

 

Dinner, to say the least, was quiet for the most part, all of them focused on eating their meals in silence. To say the least, it had been a bit awkward because of the nearly tense silence. Fortunately for them, however, Tomoe began a conversation with the male rabbit and asked him about the Hopps Family Farm Business, which, although awkward at first, led to a casual business conversation between the two. It didn't take much longer for Judy to begin asking Matt and Jenny about their own business, 'Bunni and Wilde Fishing Co.'. What started off as awkward silence soon lead to comfortable chatter amongst one another, and strengthening bonds between the five mammals, regardless Stu being within the presence of foxes inside.

Within the next hour, along with lending a helping hand with the dishes and placing the leftovers inside of the fridge, Stu and Judy Hopps give Tomoe, Matt, and Jenny their goodbyes and left the house. The Hopps leave the three in peace and head back towards Kawasabus with their old, rabbit sized beat up truck bearing the Hopps Family Farm logo on the sides of the vehicle. Matt and Jenny head to the futon and rest tenderly in each other's embrace shortly after the Hopps left the residence, with Tomoe heading upstairs into the master bedroom.

The two lovers remain resting in each other's embrace for quite a while, the bunny's head resting on the fox's muscular chest as if his built pectorals were firm pillows. Her eyes were closed for the most part, but when she opened them and looked up at Matt's face, she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his expression.

“Matt, you look so calm and peaceful right now”, Jenny began, the fox's closed eyes opening halfway and looking down at the bunny with a soft grin on his muzzle.

“Do I?” Matt asked with a light chuckle and causing the rabbit to nod with her eyes halfway open. She loses her smile a moment later and lowers her gaze to the side.

“You could've lived like this, if you hadn't picked up a sword”, Jenny began, her gaze shifting back upward and placing her right hand-paw onto his left cheek, just under the slash shaped scar. “You'd be happy with some land, seeds to plant, and a few fishing rods by your side”, she claimed all while she was gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. Matt closes his eyes and cups her right hand-paw with his left, gently rubbing his cheek into her palm affectionately.

“I've been thinking about that lately, Jen”, Matt began, but paused for a brief moment and reopens his eyes, his jade green pupils gazing at his lover's sapphire blue pair. “I've always thought I'd be satisfied if I could use my sword to defend the helpless and create a better world for them. But apparently that was a conceited notion for them. For over three years, I've ended the lives of evil mammals. But I've only realized inner peace by bringing life to our home and sharing this harvest with all of us”, the fox claimed, reopening his eyes and gazing directly at his lover. “Master Hiko tried to teach me to create peace with myself by finding a balance and harmony with the whole natural world around me. He taught me that any other kind of peace was only fleeting and temporary… but I never understood what he meant until you and I came here to live with my aunt, Tomoe”, the fox paused and began to softly smile at the bunny he held. “But most importantly, you gave me the answers I was looking for, Jen, and that's something I can never repay you for what you've done for me”.

After Matt had said that, the rabbit looks up at her boyfriend with a pair of surprised eyes. She knew she had done quite a bit to help him live a more peaceful life, but to hear him claim she gave him the answers he sought, now that surprised the hell out of her. She wanted to respond to his words, but nothing would come out of her mouth except with the slowly increasing rate of her breathing. If words wouldn't come out, then actions will.

Her sapphire eyes glance up at his jade colored pair, and the two lovers slowly inch their heads towards one another. Their eyes narrow slowly as their draw their head closer, and the two interspecies lovers grab a gentle hold of one another's cheeks. Their hearts pound hard in complete synchronization, just like the movements of their actions. And before Matt and Jenny could comprehend their own movements, their eyes close and their lips press against one another in a gentle, passionate kiss.

The kiss lasted for a good fifteen seconds before the two broke apart from one another with their eyes locked upon one another. The fox relished the sweet taste of blueberries Jenny's lips gave off, along with the scent of white plums her body radiated. It was intoxicating to say the least, and he loved every particle of the sweet fragrance. They gaze at one another for about five seconds before the two lean forward quickly for another passionate, much fiercer kiss. Their hand-paws move from their cheeks and wrap themselves around each other's waist, all while the two lovers continue to kiss each other fiercely with their eyes shut.

The kiss between the two deepened gradually as the seconds continue to pass by. But in all honestly, regardless of how the seconds fly by, they felt like time an eternity for the two. Matt and Jenny's tongues press into each other's mouths and began pressing against one another. It started off slow at first, but the passionate wrestling of their tongues began growing rapid at the intoxicating, passionate sensation. Their hand-paws began exploring each other's bodies with a tender feel, starting from their backs and soon reaching to their sides.

Their bodies soon began to press against one another with the increasingly passionate, deepening kiss, much to the point Jenny's DD-cup breasts began to press against Matt's pectorals. Matt's hand-paws travel behind her hips and find themselves feeling the firmness of his bunny's soft, lifted, round booty. He gives the left cheek a tender squeeze, and the rabbit herself gasped softly at the sensation. But the rabbit did not complain about his actions. She welcomed them, wanted them, needed them.

Jenny's hand-paws began to explore the muscularity of his torso tenderly, her fingers tracing along the strongly defined definition of his muscles. Starting from his chest, her fingers trace down along his defined abdominal muscles and soon reach just the top portion of his crotch. It was at that moment she dug her hand-paws into his shirt and began tracing her fingers along the furred flesh of his torso. Matt followed suit and dug his hand-paws under her shirt and began to slowly trail them up towards her chest, his hand-paws soon grabbing a hold of her bust contained with an apparent lace bra. He gave them a squeeze, and was rewarded with a muffed moan leaving her mouth as they continued to kiss.

The two lovers part their lips from one another and started gasping for air softly, but their hand-paws didn't stop exploring each other's bodies. In fact, Matt's hand-paws move down to the bottom of Jenny's shirt and slowly began lifting it upward, her bra contained breasts bouncing slightly after he pulled the shirt off her. Jenny quickly follows suit and manages to remove the shirt off of Matt's torso, the tight fitting garment no longer hiding the strongly defined muscular torso and allowing the rabbit to relish the sight of his muscles.

It was at that moment the two lovers lean forward and press their lips against one another in a fierce, passionate kiss, sticking their tongues into each other's mouths and letting them brush against one another rapidly. Matt's hand-paws move to Jenny's back and trail under her long hair, quickly finding themselves at the hooks of her lace bra. He slowly undoes the hooks on her bra and continues to increase the loving passion in their kiss. His hand-paws unhook the last hook and remove the bra from her torso, the two breaking the kiss once again and allowing Matt to lean back and embrace the sight of her nude breasts.

His pants suddenly began to tighten around the crotch area at the sight of her firm breast and the erect pink nipples attached to them. Giggles escape the back of Jenny's mouth as soon as she spotted the growing erection inside of Matt's pajama pants, her hand-paws grabbing the waistline of both his pants and boxer briefs underneath and slowly slid them off. Matt's hand-paws returns the favor with her pajama pants. Oh was the fox in for an interesting surprise, because as soon as he pulls her pants off did he discover the black lace G-string thong she wore. His brows furrow and his eyes became half-lidded, a seductive grin forming on his muzzle before gazing his eyes at the rabbit's face.

“Naughty bunny”, Matt softly spoke with a gentle, lustful growl in his voice right as the bunny lowers his pants to his knees. And with that, his hardened, fleshy red colored foxhood pointed upward in all its glory, the length almost a foot long and the thickness matching that of a beer can.

“Big fox”, Jenny giggled with her response before leaning towards her lover and planting a tender kiss on his lips. But the kissing didn't stop there, however. She began kissing the left side of his neck and slowly travels down towards his chest. Then they continue down the eight, strongly built points of his abdominal muscles and down to his crotch.

And alas, the kisses continued down to the thick rod of flesh between his legs, the rabbit gently grabbing the left side of his shaft with her right hand-paw. But the kissing didn't stop there, however, for she plants four kisses on Matt's foxhood starting from the base and ending at the pointy tip. Moans leave the fox's mouth and his breathing gradually became heavier. The rabbit lowers herself to the base of his flesh and presses her tongue against the underbelly of his cock, slowly licking her tongue up to the tip and sending shivers down towards Matt's spine. Matt involuntarily arches his back upward and leans his head back with a murr leaving the back of his mouth. He felt like he was approaching the gates of heaven because of how wonderful the sensation felt. But this was only the start of a tender night.

The rabbit found herself wrapping her lips around the pointy tip of his cock gently and slowly began to suck on it, one of her hand-paws gently stroking the thick length of his member back and forth. Purring chirp noises began escaping from the fox's happy muzzle, his tongue hanging on the left side of his muzzle upon feeling the rabbit providing oral stimulation for his hard foxhood. The noise grew gradually louder the deeper the large breasted bunny deepened her sucking, and it was a noise she had grown fond of every time she scratched the tuft of his neck or performing the occasional fellatio when the opportunity knocked. The way she knew how to please him was one of the best things Matt loved about his bunny the most, and it felt really damn good!

Jenny kept bobbing her head up and down along the thick girth of his gently throbbing shaft, soft slurping noises accompanying the blowjob she was giving her boyfriend. The pleasure became increasingly intoxicating the faster she went and the harder she sucked. The fox knew he would explode in ecstasy at any given moment. However…

It was time to take things up a notch!

The fox suddenly leans his upper body forward and grabs a tender hold of the rabbit's hips much to Jenny's curiosity. Her eyes quickly widen with surprise as soon she felt her lover lift her up and turn her body a full hundred eighty degrees, all while keeping her mouth on the thick foxhood between his legs. Matt's left set of digits curl around the back of her thong and swift pulls it off, throwing it onto the floor and letting his eyes gaze narrowly at the wet snatch between her legs. Oh how the intoxicating scent of her sex began to fill his nostrils, the fox licking his muzzle in sweet anticipation for what he was about to do.

Before the bunny could even register what Matt was doing, she yelps in surprise the instant her fox buried his muzzle between her legs and pressed his tongue against her wet pussy of hers. Her surprised yelp quickly turns into pleasuring moans and involuntarily increased the pace of her sucking, much to the fox's delight. Matt began to slightly, yet involuntarily thrust his almost foot long rod in and out of her mouth all while he remained in complete synchronization with her sucking.

The taste of her brewing nectar was astonishing to say the least, almost addicting even, to the fox. The predator loved how sweet his prey tasted, and the taste of his bunny alone encouraged him to delve his tongue deeper into Jenny's tight snatch. Her eyes shot wide open as soon as Matt did that, a loud squeak quickly leaving her mouth as a response to his needy, predatory lustful action. Jenny pulls Matt's foxhood out of her mouth and tilts her head back, her eyes half lidded and her mouth was wide open, her buck teeth exposed and tongue hanging at the right side of her mouth. She was in pure bliss right now, and her snatch became wetter with her lover's oral actions.

When Matt had wrapped his arms around her thighs and pulled her closer to him, along with deepening his tongue into her inner walls, her eyes instantly shut and a loud, lustful squeak escapes her mouth. She could not contain her lust for much longer. She needed him, and now!

“Matt… I need you inside me, now!” as soon as Jenny said that, the fox pulls his tongue out of her vaginal walls and quickly rolls his bunny over to where she's laying against the futon and he was on top of her.

Matt's hand-paws press her legs against her upper body and aligns his foxhood with her womanhood, his jade green eyes glaring down at the bunny's sapphire blue orbs in a lustful gaze. Growls started to leave his mouth softly with a lust craved snarl, his white, predatory canines exposed to his prey. The sight of predatory canines would usually frighten prey quite easily, but in Jenny's case, she relished the sight as something that arouses her easily. His tongue licks his muzzle in a predatory fashion and presses the tip of his large flesh into the bunny's tight snatch, the bunny arching her back and letting a lustful moan leave her mouth because of his actions.

The fox kept growling softly as he gently bucks his hips back and forth into her tight folds, the tip of his throbbing flesh pulling in and out easily because of how wet the bunny was. However, he presses several more inches into her tight snatch and was instantly rewarded with a loud moan of pleasure from the bunny. He shuts his eyes and leans his head back a bit with a snarl from the tightness of her folds, soon finding himself quickly thrusting into his bunny as swiftly as he could.

Matt's thrusting gradually quickened as time progressed, much like how Jenny's moans gradually grew louder each time her lover's cock had slid inside her snatch. Both lovers were in an everlasting state of pleasure, sweat starting to form on their bodies the quicker and harder the two fucked. And before long, Matt's tender orbs between his legs began to rapidly smack Jenny's ass with repetitive clapping noises, all to stimulate them and prepare them for reproduction.

The fox glares down at his bunny with furrowed brows and a predatory snarl, loud growls leaving his grinning mouth as he licks his muzzle in delight. Jenny's eyes look up at him with an interesting mix of curiosity, arousal, and an instinctual fear. She was curious of what he was planning to do next, aroused by his lustful actions, and frightened at the predatory expression on his face, even if her expression didn't necessarily show it. Her heart began pounding quicker when she watches the fox lean forward and press his muzzle against her left shoulder. Her body jerks briefly the instant she felt Matt's fangs nipping her shoulder, but instantly relaxed as soon as soon as she found the feeling arousing. She leans her head back and moans tenderly at the sensation, her arms wrapping around the fox's neck in a loving embrace.

“Matt…” shortly after Jenny had moaned his name, Matt nuzzles the left side of her cheek and licks the area in which he nipped only moments before.

With the fox's thrusting quickening and drawing closer to climax with each passing second, Matt moves his head to the right side of her body and nips her shoulder gently, his right hand-paw grabbing a tender hold of her left tit and beginning to fondle it lovingly. After nipping her right shoulder for a moment, he removes his fangs and nuzzles the right side of her face with his muzzle. Just like the left side, his tongue began to lick the area in which he had nipped at moments before.

By performing these actions, the fox proclaimed her as more than his girlfriend, more than just a bunny. He had marked her with his scent and proclaimed her as his one true mate, the woman in which he wants to spend the rest of his life with. Their bodies began moving in complete synchronization with one another, their speeds matching and all. Matt's arms quickly wrap around Jenny's torso as the two suddenly increasing the pace, their climax drawing closer rather quickly.

Sweat continues to build up on their bodies and their bodies continue to move in complete synchronization. Matt's foxhood throbbed into Jenny's tight snatch, his thick, bulbous knot began to form at the base of his shaft, and the rabbit's walls grow wetter. Their panting grew quicker, their moans grew louder, and they were in complete euphoria. The two lovers were nearing release, and the two look at one another directly in the eyes.

Suddenly, Matt leans forward quickly and presses his lips against Jenny's own in a deep, passionate kiss. With one final thrust, the fox manages to press his knot inside of the bunny's wet lips between her legs and began to fill her womb with thick ropes of his ripe, fertile essence, exactly at the same time Jenny's juices began coating her lover's foxhood. His lips remained locked with hers as his ripe seed travels into the safety into her womb. Whether his essence would guarantee the bunny would bear his young was uncertain, but only time will tell if whether or not fate would allow it.

A minute after their climax had began did it stagnate, the two lovers breaking the kiss and looking at each other with half-lidded eyes. A smile forms on the fox's muzzle and gently rolls his body over, letting his bunny rest on his muscular built torso comfortably with her breasts pressing against his upper abs and the lower part of his pectoral muscles. His left hand-paw gently cups her right cheek and strokes her cheek with his thumb. Jenny's eyes close and leans into his hand-paw only for a moment before reopening her eyes, which lock their gaze at his jade green orbs.

“I love you so much, Matt”, Jenny spoke softly with a genuinely loving tone.

“And I love you, too, my beautiful bunny”, Matt replied just the same before leaning forward and planting a kiss on her forehead, leaning back against the futon a moment later and brushes his right set of fingers through her long, dark brown/blonde hair. She murred softly and began to brush her fingers onto Matt's neck tuft and results in the fox letting out a series of purring chirp noises foxes usually tend to make when receiving such affection.

“Though I must admit you were rather _frisky_ this time around”, Jenny grinned at her lover as she said those words to him and receives a few chuckles from the fox himself.

“Well, it is that time of season for foxes”, Matt admitted while retaining the grin on his muzzle. “Especially if you plan on mating with the intention on having a good number of pups”, as soon as he said that, Jenny's ears quickly perk up and ceases petting his neck tuft, leaning backwards and suddenly leans back, her hand-paws covering the loud gasp leaving her mouth.

“Oh god…” Jenny panting in a panicked state, her chest expanding and deflating rapidly in correlation with her breathing. Something had finally dawned on her. “I forgot to take my birth control medication”, after adding that with her response, along with uttering a few curse words under her breath, Matt's eyes widen with surprise and leans his upper body up towards the bunny.

“Wait, what?!” Matt asked with a genuinely shocked voice, his head lowering and turning at various directions in a panicked state. It was when Jenny grabbed his built shoulders that snapped him out of his panicked state.

“Matt, I forgot to take my meds!” Jenny repeated. “I might actually get pregnant because of that. And the chances of that happening are practically guaranteed because of that damn knot of yours!” she yelled in a panicked state as her breathing became rapid, the fox lowering his head slightly and his eyes gazing at various directions.

“Jen, I-” Matt began, but shut his mouth because he was unsure of what to say. Then it dawned on him! Of course! He was a fox and she was a rabbit. How could they have kids if they were different species? Let alone in different animal families? Predator and Prey? “Wait a second…” he continued, his brows slightly furrowing in a calmly serious expression as he spoke. “We're both different species. I don't think its possible for a fox and a rabbit to procreate”, the fox explained, the rabbit quickly processing this and managing to calm down after letting out a few sighs of relief. “So… I think its unlikely for a fox to impregnate a rabbit unless genetic engineering was involved”, after finishing his explanation, the rabbit lets out one more sigh of relief before wrapping her arms around Matt's neck.

“Oh thank god, Matt. I was starting to freak out for a second there. I thought I was-” Jenny spoke out of relief at first, but immediately paused unexpectedly and lowers her gaze slightly. Although relieved, her brows began pointing upward unexpectedly. It was impossible for a fox and rabbit to procreate, so why was she suddenly becoming saddened revelation? Thoughts began to cloud her mind, and her hand-paws grasp the left side of her chest in sadness.

“Jen?” Matt's voice snapped her out of her trance and looks up at him, yet her arms flop to her sides with her left hand-paw grasping her right.

“Honestly… now that I think about it… I actually feel sad”, Jenny answered with a soft sigh, her eyes closing and a calm, almost depressed sigh escaping her mouth. “Don't get me wrong, though. I don't wanna start a family until after we graduate high school in June and the Neo-Shogunate government collapses…” the rabbit paused, reopening her eyes and gazing upwards at her fox. “But I've honestly been having dreams of being your wife and settling down with a good litter of kits”, the bunny explained further, gently grabbing his hand-paws with hers as her eyes gaze up at this. “And I'm not talking about adoption, Matt. I'm talking about the real deal. Kits that we have together”.

That honestly surprised the hell out of Matt to the point where his eyes widen. He had not expected her to say such a thing. However, hearing that brought warmth to his heart and quickly found himself gently clutching the left side of his chest with his right hand-paw, his head lowering and his gaze shifting towards his heart.

“Well, I did say it was unlikely for us to have kits of our own”, Matt began with a soft sigh. However, he looks back at Jenny with a soft, beaming smile on his face, along with quarter-lidded eyes. “But that doesn't mean its impossible. It means we'll just have to try harder if we want to start a family of our own”, the fox continued with a wink, yet pauses only for a moment and gently cups her right cheek with his left hand-paw. “And if you happen to get pregnant this time around, I'll make sure to support you in anyway I can and ensure nothing happens to you if war is to come before they're born”, hearing that promise coming from the fox's mouth definitely surprised the rabbit unexpectedly. Yet she soon found herself smiling softly with her eyes becoming watery.

“I would love that, Matt. I really do”, Jenny replied softly, moving her hand-paws towards his cheeks and gently grabs a hold of them. “And if I end up pregnant tonight, I'll know without a doubt a bunny and a fox can have kits together”.

“Even if we still have over five months left of high school? Or even if war is to come?” Matt asked with a slight smirk on his face.

“Yes, fuck the consequences”, Jenny replied before leaning towards Matt's head and wrapping her arms around his neck. “As long as I am able to bear us kits, I'll do everything I can to keep them safe from harm and bring them to this earth”.

“And I'll do everything I can to protect you, no matter what”, and with those words leaving Matt's mouth, the fox leans forward and plants his lips against Jenny's in a deep, passionate kiss.

The kiss lasted for a good couple of minutes before the two broke away from one another, their eyes glistening in the faint lamp lighting sitting by the window. They lean forward again after a moment and began to kiss one another again, their lips pressing against one another slightly fiercer with a fiery passion. Matt's hand-paws began to wonder around the back of Jenny's head and her back, much like Jenny's hand-paws start wondering around his strongly built and defined torso. The temptation for another round began to grow, much like their desire for one another. However, they were still locked to one another through Matt's knot, and the two found themselves ceasing their actions and laying back against the futon.

Although they stopped their passionate actions, Matt continues to strike the back of Jenny's head much like the rabbit began stroking his neck tuft on the left side of his neck. Soft, purring noises left Matt's mouth as he closes his eyes in a peaceful bliss, completely content with the affection he was receiving from his mate. It was a peace he was glad to have since he had met her over two months ago, despite being an assassin for the Ishin-Mirkwood Neo-Imperialist clan. Speaking of which…

“Jen…” Matt began, reopening his eyes and looking down at the rabbit, whom had began looking at him curiously. “I've been thinking about a lot of things you said to me two months ago”.

“Have you now?” Jenny asked with a curious look on her face, although bore a hint of a soft smile on her short, bunny sized muzzle.

“You told me I couldn't be happy killing mammals. You told me I caused the bloody rain to fall”, Matt recalled the conversation he had with Jenny at the alleyway where he killed the supposed Orimakishu Ninja (whom in actuality was a Neo-Yaminobu Ninja in disguise), along with the conversation at the Kazuki-Mai club in Kawasabus.

“I have”, Jenny answered with a nod.

“You tried to make me understand that my heart and my hand-paws were living at cross purposes”, Matt claimed.

“Yes…” Jenny replied again with a nod just before the fox closes his eyes and lets out a calm sigh from his mouth.

“I should've listened to you before, but I can't stop using my skills just yet. Not until the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate has been destroyed”, Matt began, but paused only for a moment and reopens them. “But once the dark days have passed, I want to find a way to better animal kind without the use of my sword. I'll come to terms with my life's purpose, and I'll atone for all I have done wrong” the fox continued and gently cups her cheeks with his hand-paws. “And if… if we get out of this alive after the war, I will ensure your happiness never ends”, and with those comforting words, the rabbit leans towards him and plants a kiss on the fox's lips. It lasted for a brief moment, but it was still enough to provide warmth within their hearts.

“And I will make sure your happiness never ends, Matt. No matter the cost”, Jenny replied with a reassuring tone of voice. “I love you so much”.

“I love you, too, Jenny”, Matt responded with a similar tone of voice right before lying back against the futon and resting his head on the pillow, the rabbit following suit and resting her head on his chest. She wraps her arms around the fox's neck and rests her head on Matt's chest, the fox wrapping his muscular built arms around her waist tenderly. Moments later, the two found themselves falling into a deep sleep within the comforts of each other's arms.

Within the comforts of their embrace and peaceful, loving tranquility.


	22. A Shocking Discovery

_ **A Shocking Discovery** _

  


Snow continues to fall upon the small, rural town of New Otsu in the coldest of nights. The flaky white substance began to build up quicker, the roads slowly began to freeze, and the great lake near the town was starting to freeze. Hardly anyone was outside in the gradually worsening conditions except when absolutely necessary. In fact, it was quiet throughout the small town.

Almost quiet…

But within the northern most part of New Otsu, roughly forty five minutes away from the Canadian Border, a dark gray 2009 Toyota Corolla Altis pulls into the parking lot of a cheap motel. The driver of the vehicle parks the car around the left side of the motel and kills the ignition of the car, pulling the keys out of the slot and opening the driver's side door. And stepping out of the car was none other than the Ishin-Mirkwood examiner of executions himself, Iizuka.

Iizuka's attire particularly consisted of a white long sleeve shirt worn underneath a solid black, baggy fitting hoodie. A pair of olive green hakama cargo pants cover his legs through their entirety, the leg openings themselves being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. His hand-paws were covered in a pair of brown cloth gloves, with his forearms and the back of his hand-paws being covered in a pair of black samurai bracers.

The tanuki approaches the entrance to his motel room on the first floor, his right hand-paw digging into his right pants pocket and pulling out a copper key from it. He inserts the key into the slot on the silver colored cylindrical knob and turns the key to the left and immediately twists the knob in the same direction right after. He gently pushes the door to the partially lit motel room forward and removes the key from the slot, placing it back inside and entering the room. But it seems he wasn't the only occupant in the room.

Right as he shuts the door, the tanuki shifts his attention towards the four foot four inch tall fox laying on the second bed near the kitchen area. The fox's attire practically consisted of a black tank top and a pair of white pants with blue stripes on the sides. His fur was much identical to Matt and Tomoe's fur colors, yet his hair was spiky and a silvery white color. His turquoise blue eyes gaze upward half-liddedly at the ceiling in thought, and his hand-paws being placed behind his head underneath the pillows.

“Well, Enishi, everything is set”, Iizuka began taking a seat on the left edge of the king sized mattress and begins removing his boots. “Tomorrow, you will return to Kawasabus with your sister”, the tanuki continued right before hearing the vulpine scoff.

“It's about time”, Enishi replied, moving his hand-paws from under the pillow and leans his upper body upward, resting his arms on his lap right after. “Though even if the assassin were to die tomorrow, I doubt she'll return with me after what happened a month ago”.

“Oh?” Iizuka asked, turning his body towards the fox with a genuinely curious expression shortly after removing his boots.

“She and I had a bit of an alteration after finding out Matt was dating the rabbit residing at her residence”, Enishi began, his right hand-paw gently clutching the corresponding side of his face carefully. “I swear to this day, she still packs a rather nasty punch”.

“Oh, so she's stronger than she lets on, I see”, Iizuka replied with a light grin on his muzzle just before unzipping his jacket and removing it, throwing the garment onto the floor next to his boots.

“Yeah, she even managed to knock a tooth right out of my mouth, too”, after Enishi said that, the tanuki had to use some of his willpower to refrain from laughing, lest he find himself getting into a physical alteration with the fox. “But regardless if whether or not she returns to Kawasabus with me, at least the assassin will be dead before nightfall tomorrow. And that's enough for me”.

“I wouldn't worry about that too much”, Iizuka replied with a calm grin on his face before turning his body to the front and laying back against the bed, placing his hand-paws under the pillow and resting the back of his head on the pillow. “Once he's been taken care of, everything will fall in place”, the tanuki continued before pausing briefly to let out a calm sigh. “We'll both get what we want”.

“I suppose…” Enishi responded softly with a sigh right before laying back against the bed, reaching to his left and turning the lamp off. And although he found himself drifting off into a much needed sleep, the tanuki's nocturnal eyes were fixed on the ceiling on top of him, his brows furrowed in serious thought, and his grin no longer plastered on his face.

“I must be a fool to play with fire like this…” Iizuka thought with a brief pause, then began to grin gently as he continued. “But I'll be a rich fool at the very least”, with that final train of thought finished, the tanuki closes his eyes and slowly drifts off into a much needed sleep.

Tomorrow would be the day everything would fall into place. Tomorrow would be the day all the cards are placed on the table.

Tomorrow… would be the day the assassin dies.

* * *

 

_**The Next Morning** _

Warmth, love, and peaceful tranquility filled the living room where Matt and Jenny slept peacefully with each other. Jenny's arms were wrapped around her lover's neck much like how Matt's muscular built arms were wrapped around her waist. Her head rested on Matt's chest as she breathed silently in peaceful bliss. But she wouldn't remain asleep for much longer, because at the moment the rays of cloudy daylight fill the darkness of the living room, Jenny's eyes flutter gently before a gentle yawn leaves her mouth. Her half-lidded eyes gaze towards her lover soon after and smiles in content.

“He truly is at peace right now”, Jenny thought inside of her mind before reaching Matt's left cheek with her right hand-paw and cupping it gently, her thumb trailing just under the diagonal scar. But what made her heart flutter the most was the gentle smile he bore on his muzzle, the faintest hint of his white canines showing near the back of his muzzle. “Even if he's a deadly assassin, I'm happy he was able to find peace within himself”, as that though coursed through her mind, the rabbit moves forward slightly and plants a soft, loving kiss on the front of Matt's muzzle. He stirred only briefly, but he never awoke from the bunny's actions. But with how he remained peaceful regardless of the tender kiss, the rabbit was truly happy with how her fox slept, even after sharing another passionate night together.

“Jenny?” Tomoe's voice immediately caught her by surprise, the bunny squeaking suddenly and covering her mouth with her left hand-paw and her tits with her right arm. She immediately turns towards the vixen behind her with a heavily flustered look on her face.

“Bloody hell, lass! You scared the shit out of me!” Jenny exclaimed with a hushed tone, loud enough to emphasis on the shocked tone in her voice, but soft enough to not wake her lover by accident. Though with the grin she saw Tomoe bore on her face, her flustered look became slightly heavier almost to the point she was embarrassed.

Tomoe was looking at the flustered, surprised rabbit with a calm look on her face, although her grin was obviously apparent to the rabbit. Her attire practically consisted of a slim fitting white long sleeve shirt with a dark gray slim fitting hoodie worn on top of it. Her legs were covered by a pair of dark sanded blue jeans that fit tightly around her thighs, and loosened to a bootcut at the legs. Speaking of her jeans, her brown open toe boots were covered by the leg openings of her pants. Lastly, a pair of black samurai bracers covered her forearms and the back of her hand-paws, most of which were covered by the sleeves of her slim fitting jacket.

“I didn't mean to startle you, Jenny”, Tomoe replied, although with a smirk on her muzzle and her hand-paws placed on her hips. “Though with how you and Matt are right now, I can tell you two must've had one hell of a night, am I right”, that comment literally caused Jenny to blush heavily with wide eyes along with making her flustered face that much more obvious to the vixen.

“Tomoe!!” Jenny blurted out almost loudly, but managed to speak those words with a hushed tone to ensure she didn't awaken Matt by accident. The vixen giggled softly with her eyes closed and a grin wide on her face, her hand-paws raised up in defense.

“Relax, Jenny. I'm just messing with you”, Tomoe replied softly with a few giggles, but her joking manner was short lived. Her eyes reopen, the grin on her muzzle is lost, and her brows furrow slightly in a serious gesture. “In all seriousness, however, I need to ask a favor from you”, that immediately caused the rabbit's ears to perk up attentively towards Tomoe's direction.

“A favor?” Jenny asked with genuine curiosity, slightly cocking a similarly toned brow at the older woman in front of her.

“Yes…” Tomoe began with a brief pause in order to sigh softly. “I'm having to meet with a group of mammals at a location twenty minutes west of here, and I'm wanting to ask if you can accompany me there”, the vixen continued, but paused only for a moment to look at the conscious rabbit and the sleeping fox. “You and Matt aren't currently tied, are you?” she asked, yet right after she did, a heavy blush began forming on the bunny's face, her eyes widening upon hearing the vixen ask that particular question.

“Eh…” Jenny began, but merely looks away from the vixen and looks down towards her crotch, which was fortunately blocked from the vixen's view thanks to the blankets she and her vulpine lover used last night. She quickly grabs the blanket and wraps it around her chest just as fast before slowly pulling out of Matt. Her crotch was practically sore, but was of no surprise whatsoever. Her lover was literally _**big**_ downstairs. But once she was off of him, she stood up and began walking towards her bag near the window. “Was tied… but yeah, I'll accompany you, Tomoe”.

“Alright”, Tomoe replied with a nod before turning away from the blanket covered rabbit. “I'll be in the car waiting for you”, and with that, the vixen walks towards the kitchen counter and grabs her keys from it, only to turn directly towards the front door and walks out of the house.

With the bunny left alone in the living room, she opens her bag and began grabbing a clean pair of clothes from it. After grabbing her outfit, she slips the black and crimson colored lace thong on before grabbing the similarly colored lace bra, quickly placing the garment onto her chest and covering her breasts. Her hand-paws grab a hold of her sanded black skintight jeans and slips her legs into the leg garment, grabbing a silver studded belt and slipping it through the loops shortly after buttoning her pants. Now that her jeans were on, she grabs a dark gray slim fitting long john shirt and places it over her torso, covering her bra covered breasts and providing a bit of warmth onto her body from the material. The bunny grabs a pair of black cloth gloves that cover her hand-paws to their entirety and puts them on, following a pair of dark brown rabbit sized samurai bracers covering her forearms and the back of her hand-paws. Lastly, she turns to her left and grabs her black hoodie from her bag as well, placing the slim fitting garment over her torso and zipping it up about three quarters of the way up.

Now that she was fully clothed, the rabbit grabs her sheathed dagger and places it inside the left inner pocket of her hoodie securely. Fully clothed and prepared, she began to walk towards the front door, but the sight of her sleeping fox stopped her from progressing any further. Her eyes gaze at the sleeping fox on the futon and couldn't help but softly smile at him. Matt really looked peaceful when he was sleeping, even as an assassin. The bunny quietly approaches him and leans forward, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead before gently rubbing her chin across his muzzle.

“I'll be back soon, Matt”, Jenny softly said towards her sleeping lover shortly after planting the kiss and scent marking him. “My handsome mate”, and with that, the bunny turns around and walks out of the front door, quietly closing it behind her and leaving her boyfriend, her mate to sleep.

Immediately after locking the front door, the bunny rushes towards Tomoe's lavender colored, 2009 Hounda Civic and quickly enters the front passenger's seat. She buckles herself in and enables the vixen to pull out of the driveway. And with that, Tomoe began driving towards the destination in which the claimed meeting was to take place. Speaking of which…

“Where are we meeting the mammals at? And who are we meeting?” Jenny asked, her head turned towards the vixen and her eyes gazing directly at the vixen.

“We're meeting with a group of Neo-Yaminobu ninjas at Bellwether Enterprises”, Tomoe's answer caused the bunny to gasp with shock and stare at the vixen with a surprised expression on her face.

“Wait, you mean the same group of Ninjas who tried to kill Matt in Zootopia?” Jenny asked wide eyed, her breathing slowly quickening and her heart pounding slightly.

“Yes”, Tomoe answered with a nod, her eyes focused on the road in front of her. “The same clan responsible for kidnapping his older brother, Nick, in an attempt to kill the Battousai. Not to mention the same clan who had attacked Matt a couple of months ago”, she explained. “Do ou remember how he had caused the rain to bleed?”

“Yeah…” Jenny recalled, remembering the night Matt had killed the ninja assassin by severing the tiger in half with the tiger's own blade, recalling how her body was painted with the ninja assassin's blood right as the fox had killed him. “But I thought he was apart of the Orimakishu ninja clan”.

“Unfortunately, that's not the case”, Tomoe claimed. “Murakami, although dressed in the Orimakishu ninja clan outfit, his affiliation lies within the Neo-Yaminobu-”

“In order to use the Orimakishu clan as scapegoats, and to use the killing as an excuse to get them to side with the Neo-Shogunate party”, Jenny interrupted, placing all the bits and pieces of information she had heard by far together, which was honestly starting to make sense to her.

“Precisely”, Tomoe replied.

“But what about the night howlers? The drug that's being used to revert the predators in a state of savagery”, Jenny asked. “Is the Neo-Yaminobu clan responsible for the creation of the drug?”

“No”, Tomoe answered, turning left at a four way junction and continuing towards their destination. Although they have managed to acquire some of the formula, they weren't the ones responsible for the creation”.

“Then who is?” Jenny asked with a cocked, nearly suspicious brow. But what she was about to hear next, she did not prepare for.

“John Bellwether, the sheep whom I formerly dated shortly before his death”, Tomoe answered, her eyes narrowing slightly at the mentioning of his name. “He was the one who created the night howler drug in the first place”, the vixen paused for a moment before letting a soft, frustrated sigh from her muzzle. “And he was also the responsible for my older brother's death”, wait a second. Older brother? That instantly caught the rabbit by surprise.

“You had an older brother?” Jenny asked with a pair of widened eyes.

“Yes…” Tomoe replied with a sigh bearing a similar tone like the previous one. “his name was John Victor Wilde. He was the father of Matt and his four older siblings: Terrance, Melissa, Nick, and Tauriel”, the vixen continued right before stopping at a red light and turning her head slightly towards the bunny. “My brother had been killed by the first victim of the drug, Alexander Lionwhite on July Seventeenth. However, I wasn't told of his death until a couple days later from one of my co-workers”, she explained as calmly as possible, although the faintest hint of tears welling within her eyes were noticed by the bunny. “Barely less than two months after his death, I found out John had been responsible for my brother's death”, with her response, a couple tears streamed down her face despite how calm she remained.

“I… I didn't know that…” Jenny replied softly, her ears drooping and her eyes becoming half-lidded. “Matt never told me about this…”

“Its because he was never told of what really happened, yet…” Tomoe answered before gently pressing the gas the instant the light turned green, her gaze glaring directly at the road in front of her.

“I see…” Jenny replied with a soft sigh before turning back towards her with fully open eyes. “There's something I've been meaning to ask. How do you know all of this?” the bunny asked with a curiously suspicious tone in her voice, especially with the way her brow was cocked at the vixen.

“Its because I was working at Bellwether Enterprises shortly before John and I began dating”, Tomoe answered. “Of course, Thrandeer asked me to work there as a way of gathering intel for the clan regarding the pharmaceutical company's true intentions”, the vixen claimed. “At first, I went in there as a neutral party, but shortly after discovering John's involvement with my brother's death, I immediately quit and sided with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan”, she continued, the bunny nodding attentively upon hearing the details.

“And what about the Neo-Yaminobu?” Jenny asked, completely unaware of what the vixen was about to tell her.

“Its simple”, Tomoe began before letting out a soft sigh. “I began acting as a double agent a day after finding out about John Bellwether's death, under the behest of Thrandeer Katzuma”, she continued. “I had to give some information to both the Ishin-Mirkwood and the Neo-Yaminobu in order to ensure everything ran smoothly”, although Jenny's eyes widen for a moment in shock, she manages to recuperate herself and refocuses her attention towards the vixen.

“And what information are you giving them this time?” Jenny asked, starting to become uneasy after learning the vixen had been working as a double agent, let alone under the order of Thrandeer himself.

“Matt's weakness”, as soon as Tomoe said those words, Jenny's eyes shoot wide open almost to the size of dinner plates. But before she could respond, the vixen raises her right hand-paw up towards the rabbit. “However, I will not tell them his true weakness, but a false weakness you've encountered a couple months ago” the vixen's words was now starting to confuse the rabbit quite a bit now. Matt's true weakness? A false weakness? What was she talking about?

“Matt's… true weakness?” Jenny asked. “And what do you mean by 'false weakness'? What are you-”

“When Matt drew his blade towards your neck when you unintentionally startled him in his sleep. That's the false weakness you've encountered, and the one I will inform the Neo-Yaminobu with”, Tomoe interrupted calmly, much to the bunny's confusion. Before Jenny could ask, the vixen raises her hand-paw again. “Matt told me what happened the day after it occurred”, the female vulpine finished before placing her right hand-paw onto the steering wheel.

“I see…” Jenny replied with her ears drooping regarding what the vixen said. She was not fond of that particular day over two months ago, especially after having stormed out of the hotel room away from Matt. That lead to not speaking to him again until she had been nearly raped and killed Friday afternoon. But in the end, everything worked out in the end, and now she was Matt's mate. However…. “What about Matt's true weakness?” the bunny asked curiously, a mix of emotions forming inside of her mind and her heart.

On one end, she wanted to know and hopefully use the knowledge of his weakness to prevent an unimaginable fate to befall Matt. On the other end, however, she didn't want to know if it would hinder Matt's ability to protect her, nor did she want the Neo-Shogunate armies to use it to their advantage. Either way, as soon as Tomoe's eyes glance at the rabbit, Jenny knew she was about to find out.

“I cannot say for certain…” Tomoe admitted honestly before turning her attention back to the road. “But all we could do now is hope the Neo-Yaminobu hadn't discovered his true weakness… whatever it is”, and with that, the two continue to drive towards their destination in silence, a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

Regardless of the silence that now filled the void inside the car, their destination was now within their sights. A large glass sign depicting the words 'Bellwether Enterprises' in red was spotted near the entrance of the facility parking lot. The vixen turns right on the said entrance and began driving towards the rear entrance of the seven story tall facility. Her eyes spot the underground garage entrance up ahead and turns left, entering the dark underground parking level and allowing her nocturnal vision to adjust to the dimly lit chamber within. She spots a parking lot near the elevator and seizes the opportunity to park on the spot, turning the key back and killing the ignition once she was parked.

“Alright, listen to what I have to say before we enter”, Tomoe began, turning her attention to the rabbit and seeing the bunny giving her an affirming nod. “Tatsumi and the others will be on the fourth floor courtyard Be on your guard at all times, and never let them see you like an open book. If they do, they may figure out Matt's true weakness from one of us”, after warning the bunny, along with an understanding nod from the rabbit, she and Jenny step out of the car and walk to the elevator entrance. With a press of a button, the elevator doors open and the two mammals enter the elevator and press the button inside to close the door. Alas, the two ascend towards the fourth floor above, the floor where the Neo-Yaminobu lies…

* * *

 

_**Tomoe's Residence, A couple minutes later** _

Snow falls slowly onto the ground around the residence, and the cold winds from the north begin blowing through the town of New Otsu. Many of the residents within the town remained indoors unless people were needing head somewhere. But for the most part, everybody remained inside the comforts of their homes. Matt Wilde was one such mammal who stayed within his home, or his aunt's residence in his situation.

Speaking of Matt, the fox had started shifting his body a bit and lets out a mild yawn out of his muzzle, stretching both his arms and his legs while he did. He briefly rubs his eyes with his left forearm before opening them slowly. His eyes blink twice before the fox leans his upper body upward, surveying his surroundings. One thing the fox noticed right way was the fact his bunny was nowhere to be around, nor did his aunt seem to be within the area. The entire house was practically uninhabited except for himself.

“Jenny… Tomoe?” Mat asked, quickly stepping off of the futon and began surveying the living room. “Are you here?” the fox asked again right before he began walking around the living room. But recalling the events of last night, especially with how sore his package downstairs currently felt, the fox temporarily ceases his search and walks to his duffel bag. He grabs himself a pair of clothes from the bag quickly dresses himself in the garments he grabbed.

Before long, the fox was no longer in the nude, but sporting a pair of clean clothes he had grabbed from his bag. His torso was covered in a black three-fourths sleeved shirt with a V-neck around the neck line, which fit almost tightly around his muscular built torso. A pair of dark green colored cargo pants covered his legs, the leg openings of his pants being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. A pair of black leather gloves cover his hand-paws through their entirety, much like the black samurai bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws. Speaking of his samurai bracers, they were partially covered by the three-fourths sleeves of his shirt.

Now that he was completely clothed, the fox began walking around the first floor of the house hoping to find Jenny and Tomoe. It was obvious they weren't in the kitchen, nor in the living room. Perhaps they were outside? With that in mind, he opens the back shoji door to the backyard and began looking around the area. It seems they weren't here either, nor were they in the now snow covered garden. Matt shakes his head a couple of times and heads back inside, closing the door behind him as he did.

If they weren't on the first floor, might as well check on the second.

With that in mind, the fox decides to head towards the stairs and began walking up along them. But about halfway up, he heard someone knocking on the door and quickly turns around. The vulpine rushes down the stairs and unlocks the door, pulling it open to see who it was standing outside. But what did not expect to see was the Ishin-Mirkwood examiner of executions standing right at his doorstep.

The tanuki himself was gazing at the vulpine with narrow eyes, his clothing basically consisting of a hakama shirt and pants respectively. His hakama shirt was a dark cerulean blue color while the hakama pants he wore were a creamy gray color. A similarly colored scarf was wrapped around his neck as if he were wanting to keep warm, despite the winter coat the tanuki was now sporting. His feet-paws were covered in a pair of black open toe combat boots, while his forearms and the back of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of black samurai bracers. Lastly, a pair of swords were strapped on the left side of his body with the thick cloth belt he wore around his waist. One of them was a long twenty six inch bladed katana and the other was a short sixteen inch wakizashi.

But with Iizuka's presence before him, the fox began glaring at him with a calmly angered expression on his face.

“Iizuka, I don't know what the hell you're doing here, but you aren't welcome here” Matt growled calmly with a cocked brow, one that was mixed of both curiosity and slight anger towards him. “So how about doing me a favor and get the hell off my Aunt's property”, after saying those words, the fox proceeded to slam the door in front of him. But much to his surprise, the tanuki quickly stops him from trying to slam the door.

“I know who the traitor is…” Iizuka began calmly, his narrow eyes glaring at the vulpine calmly with his right hand-paw inside his corresponding pocket and the left clutching the top part of his katana's sheath. “Its Tomoe”, as soon as the tanuki said that, Matt's eyes widen and lets out a soft, shocked gasp. But his eyes narrow at the tanuki shortly after wards.

“Bullshit!” Matt replied calmly, although with an apparent growl in his tone. “There's no way in hell that's true!”

“I wish it weren't true, but unfortunately it is”, Iizuka claimed. “She's meeting with her conspirators at Bellwether Enterprises not far from here”, the tanuki continued before forming a slight smirk on his muzzle. “She even brought Jenny into the conspiracy as well”.

“What?!” Matt replied with a genuinely shocked expression on his face. “That's bullshit!”

“As I said, I wish it weren't true, but it is”, Iizuka responded while he shook his head once to add more emphasis on his words. He looked towards the fox with the smirk being retained on the tanuki's face, waiting for the fox to come up with a response. But he soon saw Matt lowering his head and shaking his head a couple of times in disbelief. Even his brows were pointing upwards in a sense of sadness, possibly betrayal.

“But… but how?” Matt asked with disbelief, his right hand-paw moving towards the left side of his chest and clutching the spot where his heart rested.

“Tomoe's words…” Iizuka began, his smirk widening only slightly, but nevertheless with a menacing tone in it. “Read them”, that snapped the fox out of his trance and looks at Iizuka with widened eyes, yet his brows furrow and his eyes narrow shortly after the tanuki said those words.

What? The hell are you talking about?”, after Matt asked, the fox turns around and quickly sprints upstairs towards his aunt's room, opening the door and entering the room where Tomoe's journal rested.

Iizuka used this opportunity to enter the house and shuts the door behind him, walking to the living room and taking a seat on the couch Jenny and Matt hadn't slept on. The faint scent of sex was still apparent from last night, much to the tanuki's surprise, but he ignores the scent and turns his attention towards the stairs. And before long, the fox was walking downstairs with a brown leather journal in hand. The fox had already opened the journal and was currently looking through the pages quickly to find anything regarding what Iizuka had claimed.

“You remember John Bellwether, the mammal who wounded you?” Iizuka asked, the fox continuing to look through the pages of Tomoe's journal. The tanuki, on the other hand, grabs a smoking pipe from his right pocket along with a small bag of tobacco from it as well. “She knew him”.

_The memory began to play through Matt's mind shortly after the Iizuka said those words, although the memory began playing in a fast-forward pace. John Bellwether approached the fox at a quick pace, with Matt raising his sword just above his obliques to where he can properly execute the attack needed to strike the Neo-Shogunate governor down. The moment to strike came quickly, with the fox moving forward and tilting the end of his sword slightly to perform a diagonal slash against John. He manages to slice right through the sheep's left shoulder cleanly, blood splattering out of the wound following an agonizing cry from the male. But that didn't mean he got through the attack without injury. No, the sheep managed to nick his left cheek with the tip of his own sword, a slightly diagonal slash appearing a second after John's wound began to bleed profusely. And after the attack had happened, the sheep collapses onto the ground with his life's blood leaving his body from the wound._

“They were to be married… so sad”, Iizuka said with his gaze directed at the window in front of him, placing some of the tobacco inside of the pipe as a preparation to smoke the plant. But as he did, the fox manages to find the page he was looking for, which was seemingly written the day after John Bellwether was assassinated.

_September 30 th, 2009_

_Last night, my fiancee, John Bellwether was killed during a bodyguard assignment. He was on his way to a Meeting in Kawasabus at the time of his death…. I wish I could've stopped him before he left for Kawasabus to meet with his sister, to tell him how badly I loved him… but now I'll never have the chance to tell him that…_

Matt's eyes were completely shot wide open at the words in Tomoe's journal, his chest heaved in near-heavy, rapid panting, and for the first time since his mission in Zootopia, his wound began bleeding. Some of the blood drops onto the page of the book with a couple of repetitive _**pat**_ noises, a moment before the fox loosens his grip on the journal and letting it fall to the ground. Matt was in complete shock. John Bellwether and Tomoe dating? Let alone bound to marry? How did he not know this? How did he not know his aunt was dating the Neo-Shogunate governor he had killed?

Why did she not tell him this?

As Matt's mind became plagued with questions, the tanuki turns his attention towards the fox and began to grin widely. Everything was going completely according to plan, and he knew what was bound to happen next.

“Why…?” Matt began with a light stutter in his voice, slowly turning his head towards the tanuki sitting on the second couch. “I don't understand…. Why did she not tell me about this…? Why did she take Jenny with her…?” the fox asked, his eyes remaining wide open and directed at the examiner of executions. However, the tanuki turns his head away from the fox and leans his upper body forward slightly.

“You know what must be done”, Iizuka began shortly before grabbing a lighter out of the same pocket he got the tobacco with, hovering it over the pope and pressing the button with his thumb. An orange-yellow colored flame lit the instant the button was switch and burns the tobacco with a bright, similarly colored light. The raccoon dog bites onto the pipe and inhales some of the tobacco within the pipe, the plant burning as a result of his actions right before exhaling the smoke through his mouth and his nose. And with a smirk, two words leave his mouth, and two words told the fox what he needed to do.

“ _Kill_ them”


	23. The Neo-Yaminobu Strike

_ **The Neo-Yaminobu Strike** _

  


The elevator carrying Jenny and Tomoe towards the fourth floor was filled with complete quietude, both of them completely uncomfortable with the situation they were in. Both the vixen and the rabbit were currently in the process of heading towards the fourth floor to meet with Tomoe's conspirators, the Neo-Yaminobu, the clan she had acted as a double agent towards under the behest of Thrandeer Katzuma.

Tomoe was currently thinking about how to approach the subject matter regarding Matt's 'weakness', while Jenny, on the other hand, was trying to figure out what to do if things were to unexpectedly turn for the worst. But her thoughts were soon interrupted when the vixen places her left hand-paw onto her right shoulder, causing the rabbit to look up at her with a curious expression on her face.

“Jenny, do you have your dagger on you?” Tomoe asked with a calm, yet curious expression on her face, the rabbit nodding before placing her right hand-paw into her hoodie.

“Yeah, I do”, Jenny replied prior to clutching onto the sheath of her dagger. “Why do you ask?” the rabbit asked curiously with the means of finding out the vixen's intentions.

“I need you to hand it to me before we leave the elevator”, Tomoe began, turning her head towards the front and noticed they were nearing the fourth floor. “In case something goes wrong, I don't want you ending up hurt, nor do I want anything to happen to your kits if you happen to be pregnant”, as soon as she mentioned the possibility of Jenny being pregnant, the rabbit's heart skipped a beat. Even if the chances were slim, could she possibly be pregnant with Matt's kits as they spoke? But either way, now was not the time to think about such thing.

But in case if she was, the rabbit nods with understanding and pulls the sheathed dagger out of her inner hoodie pocket before handing the weapon to Tomoe. The vixen places the weapon inside the right back pocket of her jeans and covers much of it with the bottom of her hoodie. After nodding towards the bunny with a thankful gesture and concealing the weapon, the elevator doors open and reveal the LED lit hallway before them.

The halls were well lit, and to say the least, the rabbit was genuinely surprised at the architecture in the building. The walls were a mixture of both a dark gray granite color and made of clear glass walls. The glass walls depicted several unoccupied labs within, yet seemed several papers were scattered all over the place. Whatever the reason, none of them knew for certain. But now was not the time to focus on such things. They needed to focus on reaching the courtyard and meet with the Neo-Yaminobu clan as Tomoe had instructed.

Both females step out of the elevator and start walking towards the double doors leading directly to the fourth floor courtyard, which also happened to be labeled just on top of the doors. Jenny looks at the rooms left and right in total bewilderment, not having expecting such a sight for a facility. She was honestly astonished, even if the late John Bellwether was a rich, powerful mammal.

About halfway down the hall, the rabbit's ears flicker suddenly and the bunny quickly turns to her right, her head looking towards the direction they were coming from. The vixen was quickly to notice the rabbit having stopped and ceases her movements as well.

“Jenny? Is everything alright?” Tomoe asked with a curious tone in her voice, noticing the rabbit's nose twitching slightly and her eyes glaring towards the elevator doors behind them.

“Yeah… I just got a weird feeling we're being watched”, Jenny answered calmly, although with an uneasy tone slightly apparent in her voice.

“It's honestly not surprising, Jenny, since there's surveillance cameras around-”

“No, its not that”, Jenny interrupted quickly, turning her head towards the vixen and looking at her with a calm, uneasy look in her eyes. “I don't know what it is, but I have a weird feeling something or someone's watching us… whatever it is…”

“Jen…” Tomoe spoke softly shortly after hearing the rabbit's response, turning her head towards the elevator and casting a short glance at it. Strangely enough, however, regardless of the fact there were a couple of surveillance cameras near the elevator, she did get an uneasy feeling of being watched by something in the shadows… whatever it may be.

“Its probably nothing”, Jenny claimed while shaking her head a couple of times. “I guess this whole meeting might be making me a bit more uneasy than I thought”, and with that, the rabbit began walking towards the doors leading to the courtyard, with the vixen turning towards the front and quickly catching up with the rabbit.

The two mammals soon arrive to the twin doors leading into the courtyard and gaze at the bars attached to them. Although the doors were made for the larger predators or prey, Tomoe was fortunate enough to barely reach one of them. She grabs onto the left bar and pushes it forward, pushing the door just the same and allowing the two mammals to pass through them easily.

When they entered the outdoor courtyard, Jenny was expecting the area to be about the size of two tennis courts. But what she didn't expect was for the courtyard to be half the size of a football field, let alone having an outdoor roof covering the entire place.

Most of the courtyard flooring was practically made entirely out of concrete, with the left and right sides being made out of tan ceramic tiles. Near the front of the courtyard up ahead stood two fire fighter ventilation shafts, both of which were encircled by rectangular cement walls. The enclosed ventilation shaft in the middle was the farthest of all, while the one on the right side of the building was closer towards the two mammals.

And sitting on a large, charcoal colored blanket in front of the middle ventilation shaft is the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan, Tatsumi. Jenny and Tomoe noticed he was an orange Siberian tiger bearing long, brushed back gray colored hair along with a similarly colored mustache and goatee on the front of his muzzle. The tight fitting black tank top he wore showed off much of his muscular torso, with the bottom of the shirt being tucked into his brown hakama cargo pants. His his shirt, the leg openings of his pants were tucked into a pair of black open toe combat boots. Lastly, a pair of brown samurai bracers were worn over his muscular built forearms and even covered the back of his hand-paws.

As the two female mammals slowly approach the tiger, the ninja's eyes narrow slightly upon glaring at the two. He had expected Tomoe to arrive, but he hadn't expected her to come with a companion by her side. But much like how he didn't expected Jenny to be with Tomoe, the vixen did not expected Tatsumi to be the only one there.

“Odd… the other's should've been here by now”, Tomoe thought within her mind, her eyes slowly looking to the left and right respectively. “Where are they at?” she wondered as she and the rabbit continue to approach the tiger with a calm manner, regardless of the level of uncomfortability they were feeling by being in his presence.

Completely unaware to the two mammals, two pairs of eyes have been watching them through the surveillance room on the fifth floor, one of them a female sheep and the second a male fox. Enishi Yukishiro Wilde and Dawn Bellwether had been watching their every movements since the vixen and rabbit had arrived.

Dawn was sitting on a roller chair watching the camera feed in the courtyard level, her eyes watching with pure interest. She was currently dressed in a white dress shirt with a black dress coat worn over her torso. Her legs were covered by a knee length skirt matching the color of her coat. A pair of black leather low heel dress shoes were worn over her hoofed feet-paws comfortably. Lastly, a pair of large, black framed, rounded rectangular glasses occupied her face to give her eyes a slightly bigger appearance

Enishi, on the other hand, was standing behind the sheep watching the camera feed of both Tomoe and Jenny approaching the Neo-Yaminobu leader. He was currently sporting a blue sleeveless top along with a pair of orange Chinese style pants with blue stripes running along the outside sides of them. His shirt was tucked in his pants and secured with a blue cloth belt. The fox's forearms and the backside of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of blue samurai bracers, just like how his blue open toe boots covered his feet-paws. A pair of small, circular sunglasses were attached onto his muzzle securely to give the fox a slight swagger to his look.

But despite that, the fox did not have a pleasant look on his expression.

“So it seems Tomoe brought that bunny with her… why am I not surprised?” Enishi spoke calmly, although bore a growl in his voice.

“I wouldn't worry about it, Enishi”, Dawn replied with a light chuckle, turning the chair around and gazing directly at the fox's blue eyes. “Who knows. Maybe this will turn out for the better with her around”, the sheep claimed with her arms crossed and bearing half-lidded eyes. “And if we're lucky enough, the Neo-Yaminobu may kill the assassin, and the Neo-Shogunate government will be able to take over the country unopposed”, shortly after she said those words, the fox lets out a soft sigh before looking back at the camera feed.

“I suppose…” Enishi replied calmly, his eyes gazing at the surveillance feed and completely oblivious to the fact Dawn had turned her chair back towards the screen depicting the fourth floor courtyard level. “However, lets hope everything Iizuka and I set up still goes according to plan”, alas, after thinking those words in his mind, the fox places his hand-paws inside of his pockets and clutches on some sort of object within the right pocket. Thus, the two mammals continue to watch with stern looks on their face, waiting for the conversation that is to transpire between the three mammals.

* * *

 

_**On the road near the New Otsu Woods** _

Completely unaware to Dawn Bellwether, along with Jenny and Tomoe, Matt Wilde was currently driving his car towards the location in which the meeting was to take place. His eyes were focused on the road, yet remained wide since he had read Tomoe's journal and had found an unimaginable truth he didn't expect to discover. The wound on his left cheek continued to bleed constantly, although not in dangerous quantities. His Katana and Wakizashi were placed on the front passenger's seat and secured with a purple silk scarf that belonged to his aunt.

His mind and his heart were currently clashing towards one another to the extent where he couldn't properly think, but that didn't stop the questions from forming inside of his mind. How could Tomoe be the true conspirator behind all of this? How long had she been involved with the Neo-Shogunate government? Had she been apart of the government all along, even before he and Jenny relocated to New Otsu? And why did she involve his mate into this whole affair? All of these questions were going through his head, but no answers came to mind.

His train of thought was cut short, however, when the fox's eyes widen at the sight of an individual crossing the unmarked road. He suddenly turns the wheel to the left and swerves towards the woods immediately, only for him to come at an abrupt stop when the front end of his car crashes onto one of the large pine trees. Smoke began rising from the damaged front end of the car unexpectedly, and the glass on the windshield was completely shattered. Matt wasn't physically hurt from the unexpected accident, regardless of the state of mind and heart, but he knew he couldn't linger here for much longer. He had to get to Tomoe and Jenny… quickly.

Shaking his head a couple of times, the fox turns to his right and grabs the two tied swords with his right hand-paw and kills the ignition to his damaged vehicle with the left. With both items in hand, the fox steps out of the car and places the key inside of his left cargo pocket before placing the two swords through his belt on the left side of his body.

With his weapons secure and Tomoe's purple silk scarf in, he turns to the right and notices a trail leading directly towards the direction where Bellwether Enterprises was located. He took a few steps towards the path, but stops suddenly and turns around. Just who the hell did he nearly hit? The fox rushes towards the road and began looking along the road, and strangely enough, nobody was there. Was he imagining things all this time, or had the mammal he nearly killed accidentally fled the scene?

Whatever the reason, he wasn't sure, but right now, he needed to go. The fox turns a hundred eighty degrees and was about to step forward, but was stopped at the sight of an unexpected, grotesque looking individual standing several feet in front of him.

Matt's eyes were wide upon seeing John Bellwether standing in front of him in the exact same clothes he had worn the night he had been slain by the Battousai. The wounds on his body were still there, including the stab wound through his head that ended the sheep's life. But that wasn't necessarily what made Matt's eyes wide with shock. It was the fact John literally looked dead to the point multiple signs of decay can be seed, especially with those lifeless eyes staring directly at him.

The fox shuts his eyes and shakes his head a couple of times before reopening them, glaring at the spot where John was standing… where he once stood. He was no longer standing in front of him, nor was he spotted anywhere else. Was he a ghost coming to haunt Matt… or was he an illusion within the fox's troubling mind? Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure, but now was not the time to linger here any longer.

With his swords secured on his left side and his mind somewhat more stable, the fox turns to the path leading into the woods and sprints into them. But completely unaware to him, he was being watched a lone figure in the shadows… with eyes gazing at the sprinting tod with a deathly glare.

* * *

 

_**Tomoe's residence** _

Emptiness… the feeling that was now filling the entire two story house, now that all of the residents occupying the house were now gone. Jenny and Tomoe had left to meet with the Neo-Yaminobu, and Matt had just left the house going after them, his mind and hearts clashing in cross paths. And with them gone, the entire household was empty, save for one particular mammal.

Iizuka was currently sitting on the second couch adjacent to the futon Matt and Jenny slept on together, his mouth gently biting the golden end of his small tobacco pipe and inhaling some of the plant into his longs. But shortly after inhaling some of the burning plant did he exhale the tobacco smoke from both his muzzle and through his nose, his eyes closed in a relaxed manner. But they didn't remain closed for much longer, for they reopen quarter-lidded and gaze directly at the futon the interspecies lovers slept on.

His gaze remains locked on the futon for at least fifteen seconds, yet to the examiner of executions, felt more like several minutes. The reminiscent of memories began to flow within the mind of the tanuki rapidly, some of them fond, and others unfeeling and forgettable. However, he could not remain within the household for much longer…

“My job's done”, Iizuka said calmly, and with a flick of his pipe, the Japanese Raccoon Dog stands up from his seat and turns towards the front door. “I should probably find the next ship out of the country”, as he said this, the examiner of executions takes several steps towards the front door. But his feet-paws suddenly come to a halt and turns his head towards the couch, almost as if he was compelled to look at the futon one last time. Not to take in the faint smell of sex, but to once again take in the memories of the past one more time. He remained like this for about twenty seconds before closing his eyes and smirk for only the briefest of moments. “Goodbye, Matt”, and with the wave of his left hand-paw, the tanuki walks to the front door and exits the house, leaving the entire household empty and void of any of its occupants and guests.

* * *

 

_**Within the Forest Trail, New Otsu Woods** _

All was silent within the woods of New Otsu, and the fast pace of the vulpine's sprinting had slowed into walking, almost matching the pace of his soft breathing. Matt's eyes glare towards the path he followed for who knows how long distantly and almost lifelessly. The back of his left hand-paw wipes the constantly dripping blood from the slash wound on his corresponding cheek. And with the fresh blood wiped from his face, despite more of it slowly dripping down his cheek again, the fox lowers his hand-paw and continues to walk along the path silently.

His ears suddenly perk upward at a soft _**rustling**_ sound, and his eyes suddenly widening now that he has become alert of his surroundings. Grabbing a hold of the long katana as he did, the fox pulls it out quickly following a horizontal sweep attack on his right. Although expecting to hack a possible attacker, he did not expect to slice a large portion of falling snow in two. His eyes slightly narrow in relief, despite the lack of change in his facial expression. But regardless, the fox turns to the front and continues progressing onwards towards Bellwether Enterprises…

* * *

 

_**Fourth Floor Courtyard, Bellwether Enterprises** _

“Why did you involve my younger brother in this?” the question leaving Tomoe's mouth cut the ongoing silence that had been going on for the past several minutes since their arrival, waiting for one of them to say something regarding the ongoing matter at hand. But at the question, Tatsumi's eyes narrow only slightly in a serious manner, his attention fully focused on the vixen in front of him.

“It was a tactical decision. We need every available weapon to destroy this menace”, Tatsumi answered with a calm tone of voice, his eyes glaring sternly at the vixen as he spoke. His eyes soon close, however, and lets a soft sigh leave his mouth. “You see, it was the same reason we enlisted your services”, the tiger explained, the vixen's eyes narrowing slightly and turning her head to the right.

“Where are all the others?” Tomoe asked while she was turning her head to the left and looking at the correlating direction momentarily before setting her sights at the Neo-Yaminobu leader, which the tiger himself had reopened his eyes just now.

“They're laying in wait…” Tatsumi replied with a brief pause. “Prepared to attack”.

“You were supposed to wait for my word”, Tomoe quickly replied shortly before hearing a scoff from the tiger himself.

“Your word?” Tatsumi asked calmly in disbelief. “And how long did you expect us to wait for your permission? Another season?” he asked. And that caused the vulpine to give him a surprised look on her face.

“But then why… why did you need me?” Tomoe asked with a genuinely curious, partially shocked expression on her face.

“Because, it would have been imprudent for us to attack him if both his mind and heart have been focused”, Tatsumi began before turning his sights towards the rabbit standing next to Tomoe's right. “We originally intended you to provide the Battousai with a love only a mother can provide. However, it seems the rabbit you've brought has unknowingly helped defeat each of these things”, those particular words coming out of her mouth caused the two women to gasp with shock. They had somehow figured out Matt's true weakness, a weakness Jenny was unaware of. But before either of them could reply, the tiger narrows his eyes slightly with a strong, dominating glare. “He is coming here”.

“What?!” Jenny exclaimed with pure shock, her eyes wide, hand-paws shaking, and her nose twitching upon hearing this.

“As we speak, he is deciding whether or not he will kill you two”, Tatsumi claimed with a brief pause. “His sense of betrayal and the yearnings of his heart are tearing at each other. This distraction will stop him from using his true skills. That has been our plan all along. Do you understand?”, when he finished, both Jenny and Tomoe's mouths were open agape and their eyes were wide with shock.

“You… you've used us…” Tomoe began, but her her eyes soon narrow and her mouth clenches shut with a light snarl. “You've used Jenny as your pawn?!” the vixen growled with a mixture of both shock and slowly rising anger, her hand-paws clenching into tight fists at this realization.

“Yes we did, you're surprised?” Tatsumi asked prior to hearing another growl leaving the vixen's mouth. Tomoe's right hand-paw slowly reaches for the concealed dagger inside of her back pocket, the tiger cocking a calmly curious brow at the woman. Whatever she was planning to do, he kept his eyes locked onto her and continued to keep close surveillance of her actions.

* * *

 

_**The New Otsu Woods** _

Around the same time Tomoe and Jenny had began their discussion with the Neo-Yaminobu clan leader, Matt was currently walking along the path provided within the forest, his eyes continuing to gaze forward, although a bit distantly. The handle of his katana was gripped tightly on his right hand-paw while the purple scarf was gripped on his left. His tail swayed side to side slightly in correlation in his movements.

Completely unaware to the fox, however, Nakajo had been hiding behind one of the pine trees about twenty-three meters away from the path the assassin was walking along. The cougar was dressed in a modern ninja outfit, the top consisting a brown long sleeve tight fitting shirt being worn underneath a sleeveless black kimono shirt. A pair of black samurai bracers covered his forearms and back of his hand-paws, much like the brown open toe combat boots covered his feet-paws. His raven black hair was tied back, save for his bangs, since they werebrushed to the to the sides of his head. Lastly, his weapons consisted of a katana matching the same length as Matt's along with a Chusen dart shooter attached onto his left forearm.

He watched the Battousai walk along the path intently for a moment before placing his left hand-paw into the snowy ground, his right pulling down the brown muzzle mask enough to allow him to scoop some of the snow into his mouth. The cougar covers his muzzle immediately afterwards and jumps speedily towards the assassin, loud sizzling noises that were much identical to the sound of ocean waves filling the silence in the forest.

Matt's ears perk at the noise of the cougar's movements and slowly turns his head to the left, looking backwards curiously for a moment before spotting the cougar preparing to strike him down with his blade. The vulpine quickly blocks the attack easily with their blades colliding with a loud ' _ **CLING**_ ', however, but what made the fox uneasy was the way his opponent smirked at him from under the brown muzzle mask.

Nakajo jumps backwards and quickly places the back of the blade of his sword into his masked mouth before suddenly raising his left arm. The cougar swiftly grabs his forearm and fires a Chusen dart at the fox's right shoulder from the Chusen attached to his left forearm. Matt grunts in pain with a pair of wide, surprised eyes and his mouth slightly open, his vision blurring and clearing repetitively before slowly kneeling onto the ground. He barely caught the cougar jumping backwards into the safety of the woods, but the fox wasn't gonna go down without a fight.

The vulpine grabs a hold of the Chusen dart and quickly, albeit carefully, pulls the dart out of his shoulder and throws it several feet away from him. Blood splatters slightly from the wound, but nothing major fortunately. Nakajo had noticed this from a tree roughly thirty-five meters in front of the vulpine and cursed under his breath. But there wasn't any time to complain about this now. He had to bring the assassin down or at least die trying. The cougar turns his head forward and lowers his muzzle mask with the same hand-paw, taking a deep breath scooping up some snow from the ground. He places the snow he scooped up into his mouth and closes his muzzle mask, jumping silently away from his hiding spot and preparing to strike from another part of the wooded area they occupied.

* * *

 

_**The Fourth Floor Courtyard, Bellwether Enterprises** _

The prolonging quietude continues to linger within the courtyard Jenny, Tomoe, and Tatsumi currently occupied, even as Matt and Nakajo were currently fighting in the New Otsu woods nearby. Tomoe slowly begins pulling Jenny's dagger out of its sheath and shifts her gaze from the tiger towards her weapon of choice. But what she didn't realize was the fact she had made a terrible mistake turning his gaze away from the tiger.

Because the instant she did, Tatsumi immediately stands up and darts towards the vixen swiftly, his left hand-paw smacking the left side of her face and his right grabbing the weapon from behind the vulpine's back.

“Tomoe!” Jenny screamed and quickly rushes to the fallen vixen several feet away, allowing the tiger to look at the dagger in his hand. It was definitely quite large for both the vixen and the bunny to carry, but to the tiger, it was relatively small. However, he lowers the weapon and gazes at the two women several feet away, noticing Jenny gently placing her left forearm underneath the vixen's head.

“I've should have known something like this would happen”, Tatsumi began with a scoff, throwing his arms up in the air for the moment before turning towards Tomoe. “Your motherly instincts for him are too strong for you to let go”, the tiger paused for a moment and shifts his attention directly at the rabbit. “As for you, rabbit, you have fallen in love with him”, those particular words caught the rabbit's attention as soon as he said them, her eyes widening and turning her head to the tiger several feet away.

“What?! How-”

“We have our ways”, Tatsumi interrupted. “And I can understand it, however. Mammal feelings are comprecious”, he continued while simultaneously placing the unsheathed weapon inside of his left pants pocket. “The emotional distance between the darkest hate and the deepest love is no more than the width of rice paper. Just as much as hate can cause a man to act out with extreme violence, love can cause a woman to cherish the worst of killers as if he were a newborn baby. Its the weakness of the heart, it's our most formidable enemy”, he finished right before the vixen starts to recover from the blow she was dealt with on the left side of her face, slowly leaning her upper body upward and glaring at the ninja with furrowed brows, a deathly glare, and a snarl.

“You… you bastard…!” Tomoe growled, attempting to stand back up onto her feet-paws. However, she collapses onto the floor and coughs up a bit of blood shortly after. It was then she began to smirk with a light chuckle, shaking her head a couple times before continuing to speak. “Heh, it looks like… my work here is done”, she claimed and closes her eyes a moment afterwards. The tiger smirks at the woman at first, but after spotting the vixen moving her right hand-paw into her corresponding hoodie pocket, he rushes towards the woman and suddenly picks her up swiftly by her neck. Jenny's eyes widen with shock as soon as she notices Tatsumi's large index finger being shoved into her mouth and blocking Tomoe's oral air passage.

“You can't die yet”, Tatsumi spoke with a stern look right as he wraps his right arm around her body, his corresponding hand-paw grabbing the object she was intending to grab. And alas, he ended up finding another knife within, particularly a Japanese tanto knife. “Even if you were to kill yourself, his fate will be the same”, he claimed all while Tomoe was doing whatever she could to free herself from his grasp. Blood and saliva began to drip down the sides of her mouth and onto the tiger's left thumb. He turns his head towards the vixen with one final question. “Has the assassin made you forget John Bellwether?”

* * *

 

_**The New Otsu Forest** _

Rapid footsteps were quickly filling the quietude of the woods where Matt and Nakajo were currently fighting, the cougar running directly towards the wounded vulpine up ahead. He raises his left arm forward and clutches the Chusen with his right hand-paw, quickly firing two Chusen darts at the fox as an attempt to injure the vulpine. Unfortunately, neither one of them would hit thanks to Matt swiftly blocking them with a defensive horizontal sweep attack, knocking the darts back and making them hit the snowy ground a couple feet away.

The cougar scowls at this and quickly draws his katana, gripping the back of the blade's handle with his left hand-paw and the front of the handle with his right. He was prepared to attack and end the assassin's life with his own blade…

Unfortunately, however, his blade would never be able to pierce the assassin whatsoever. Because right when Nakajo was about to perform a vertical sweep attack, Matt managed to pierce his blade right through the cougar's chest easily, much to his opponent's shock. The cougar slowly lowers his gaze towards the fox's blank, conflicting expression, the fox slowly pulling the blade out of his opponents chest with blood spewing out of the wound.

Nakajo turns away from the fox and began limping away from the scene, using his sword as a walking stick to help support himself. Painful grunts were constantly leaving his mouth even as he was trying to flee from the fox. But it didn't take much longer for him to drop his katana and collapse after taking a few steps away from his blade. Landing on his knees at first, he falls onto the ground face first, nearing death with his blurring, darkening vision.

But he wasn't gonna go down without pulling one last card, and his last card happened to be within his reach. Slowly reaching for a barely noticeable rope, following one last, painful cry, the cougar pulls on the rope hard enough to snap it. Alas, the last thing he saw was a bright white light, and then his vision fades to black for one last time…

* * *

 

_**Somewhere near the New Otsu Woods, moments ago** _

All was silent along the icy roads near the New Otsu woods, where nothing but the faint sounds of rapid footsteps occupy the silence within. And running along those roads was a seventeen year old, gray furred rabbit by the name of Judy Hopps, who was currently bearing a worried, panicked expression on her face.

Her torso was covered by a red plaid shirt being worn under a dark gray, slim fitting hoodie, which showed off the curves of her upper body and the small perkiness of her B-cup breasts. Underneath the sleeves of her hoodie, her forearms and the back of her hand-paws were covered by a pair of black samurai bracers. The lower portion of her body was covered in a pair of sanded blue skinny fitting jeans, with a pair of black open toe boots covering her feet-paws. Lastly, attached to the left side of her body was a large, sheathed hunting knife with a blade that's just a few inches longer than her forearm.

The reason why she was running along the cement roads was because she was in search for her father, Stu. Last night, sometime after Judy and her father had settled at a local motel halfway between Kawasabus and New Otsu, they were attacked by a few of the Neo-Yaminobu ninja's led by Nakajo. Although Judy had managed to get away from the scene, her father wasn't so fortunate. And as a result of the attack, Stu had been taken by the Neo-Yaminobu back to New Otsu.

But because of all the running she had to do in order to find her father, along with the lack of sleep, she found herself coming to a stop with heaving breaths, She bends her knees slightly, her upper body slumps forward, and her hand-paws grabs her legs just above her knees. Even in the cold winter outside, her face was covered in sweat from running almost non-stop since her father's kidnapping last night. She needed to find her father. She needed-

_**'BA-CHOOM'** _

The rabbit was about to say something when her ears suddenly perk upward the instant she heard the explosion go off within the distance. She turns to her eyes and her eyes widen at the thick cloud of light gray smoke forming up the wooded hill within the distance.

“What the hell's going on?” Judy muttered softly and narrows her eyes slightly at the sight of the explosion. Whatever happened up there, it didn't look good. Something needs to be done about it… and quickly. “I need to check this out! I have to know what's going on in this god forsaken place”, and after saying those words, the bunny quickly starts sprinting at the direction where the explosion occurred, completely unaware of what was truly going on deep within the woods.

* * *

 

_**The Fourth Floor Courtyard, Bellwether Enterprises** _

' _Has the assassin made you forget John Bellwether?_ '

That particular question constantly rang within the mind of Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde, whom was still struggling to breath through her mouth thanks to the tiger's finger bring inside of her oral opening. It was obvious she didn't forget about John, but she didn't want to recall any of the memories she had with John after what he had done to her older brother, John Victor Wilde. But why was that question constantly bothering her? Why would Tatsumi even ask that?

_**'BA-CHOOM'** _

The instant she and the others heard that explosion, the tiger gently throws the vixen out of his grip and turns his head to the right, while Jenny was rushing towards Tomoe the instant she was freed from his grasp. Whether for good or for bad, at least she no longer had to think of the question ringing in her mind, even if it was only temporary. Their eyes spot a very faint cloud within the long distance of the forest. Although the bunny and the vixen were not entirely sure what had happened, the tiger, on the other hand, knew exactly what had transpired.

Nakajo had failed to kill the assassin.

And with this knowledge, the tiger refocuses his attention towards the two women in front of him, particularly towards the harshly coughing vixen with narrow eyes.

“What was John Bellwether to you? Was he not the love of your life, the man you held so dear to your soul?” Tatsumi asked with a serious tone in his voice, the vixen's coughing soon turning to softer breaths as he spoke. “Can he be so easily forgotten?” that struck a cord with the vixen the instant those words left the ninja's muzzle, Tomoe's eyes widening with a mixture of shock and anger in them.

* * *

 

Even as the tiger was engaging in a conversation with the two women, or at least towards Tomoe, Matt was continuing along the pathway at a slightly slower pace. White puffs of expiration left his mouth in the cold air as he continued to walk in almost pure silence. Although unharmed from the shock waves of the explosion, his ears were currently bleeding because of the deafening volume and force of them. Because of that explosion, until he gets his ears treated, he now has to deal with the loss of most of his hearing. But with his sword in hand, he will continue his path towards Bellwether Enterprises and deal with the Neo-Shogunate conspirators involved with the plotting of his assassination.

* * *

 

“He loved you more than that. He died for you. Is this how you will repay his sacrifice?” Tatsumi asked, a calmly serious tone being heard with the sound of his voice. Even if the vixen was still angry and shocked, a soft gasp left her mouth the instant the question was asked. She remained silent, and didn't even bother answer… “John traveled to Kawasabus even though he knew he wasn't a competent swordsman. He wanted to be a hero for you so you could look at him with admiration”, the tiger continued, but slightly narrows his eyes at the vixen as he continued to speak. “Why would a mammal go to such great lengths for his betrothed?”, he asked, pausing only for a short moment to close his eyes. “Can you tell me?”

“I can't answer that…” Tomoe replied, albeit with a slight sob, the vixen looking up with tears slowly beginning to stream down her face. “He shouldn't have killed my brother! If he hadn't killed my brother nor got himself involved with the Neo-Shogunate government, we would've lived happy together!” she growled at the tiger standing in front of her, Jenny's eyes turning towards the Neo-Yaminobu leader and catching the tiger's eyes narrowing at the female vulpine.

“John did it because he had no choice”, Tatsumi began, but slightly softens his glare even if it retained the stern expression in them. “Each man must live to please his family, his town, and the Neo-Shogunate. This is the only way peace can be maintained”, the tiger paused for a moment and turns his gaze towards the woods, the direction where he knew the Battousai would be coming from. “John lived his life well, and he died protecting the most precious society mammal kind has ever known. It is because of diligence like his that the Neo-Shogunate has maintained peace for several years since its making in Ohio. A peace that was hard _WON_ , and that is forcefully sustained”, he continued despite hearing the vixen's angry sobs. Tomoe and Jenny's gaze turn towards the tiger, who had now turned his back against him during a brief pause.

“The assassin represents those who believe mammals can live in peace without enforcement by the powerful”, Tatsumi continued following a light growl, albeit a calm one at that. “An insulting idea…. To believe this, is to paint the Neo-Shoguns as cruel tyrants. In truth, we prevent a mammal from following their basic instincts, which would make the entire region a hell on Earth…” It was after he said those words when the tiger closes his eyes, allowing himself to momentarily recollect his thoughts and think of what to say next.

* * *

 

The conversation continued between the three mammals up in the courtyard. But as it did, Matt Wilde drew closer towards the facility with each step he made, regardless of the weary state he was in. But completely oblivious to the fox, two pairs of eyes were watching the assassin approaching the area they currently occupied. One of them was hidden in the shadows of the forest, despite the assassin's reflection being seen on the metallic claws it was equipped with. As for the other, Sumita was currently waiting for the assassin with a large ax equipped on him. But one common thing they both wore were was the fact they both wore the exact same clothing Nakajo did before he had been eliminated by the assassin.

Matt stops dead on his tracks the instant his weary eyes spot the Neo-Yaminobu husky roughly forty yards away. The husky suddenly uses this opportunity to swing the ax behind him and allows him to hold the large weapon perpendicularly with his body's stance. That was when Sumita began sprinting directly towards the fox with both hand-paws gripping the handle of his huge ax. The fox's eyes gaze at the approaching husky and watches the male lift the ax up effortlessly, swinging it directly at him in an attempt to slay the assassin.

Unfortunately, the attack wouldn't go through as planned thanks to Matt blocking it with his own blade. But even with the fox blocking it effortlessly, Matt was still knocked back against one of the trees thanks to the force of the husky's attack. He was about to attack when the fox felt a pair of sharp, metallic claws suddenly piercing, no, digging into his right shoulder for a moment. Matt let out a loud grunt of pain before looking upwards, where he briefly saw what appeared to be an elongated arm of a jaguar. But his widened eyes quickly turn back towards the front and notices the husky preparing to strike him down with his huge ax.

“Shit!” Matt exclaimed within his mind right as he quickly dodges the attack a second before the ax could strike him down, which the sharp blade merely strikes through a good chunk of the tree. Now that the fox was alert, and despite the bleeding injury on his right shoulder, he prepares his weary body for yet another battle that'll end in victory or claim his life in the end.

* * *

 

Tatsumi's eyes were still closed shortly after he had spoken with Tomoe directly. However, he soon reopens them and continues to look at the direction where the New Otsu woods were located, the same woods he knew Sumita and another one of his own were fighting.

“This extreme level of control is sometimes mistaken for tyranny”, Tatsumi began, completely unaware of the vixen lowering her head slightly and shaking her head a few times. “Were each man were allowed to follow his heart, the accumulated savagery would make the Neo-Shogunates pale in comparison”, he paused only for a moment and turns his head towards the two females, the rabbit wrapping her arms around Tomoe gently and the tiger's eyes glaring at the two with narrow eyes. “We will avenge John Bellwether's death with the assassin's life”.

As soon as the words left the tiger's mouth, he turns away from the two women despite hearing a shocked, frightened gasp leaving the bunny's mouth. Her eyes gaze directly at the tiger with a level of fear she couldn't comprehend. Her right hand-paw clutches the left side of her chest, where her heart was pounding hard. She had to do something, but how could she in the position she was in?

“Matt…” her lover's name rang inside of Jenny's mind as her breathing became heavy and her eyes wide with fear. All she could do was hope for his safety… or at the very least, come to her and Tomoe alive…

* * *

 

Matt was constantly panting at this point, and holding the bleeding wound with his left hand-paw. His vision was slightly blurring in and out on him during the battle, and was unsure of how long he can remain conscious. Fortunately for him, however, the bleeding has slowed down drastically thanks to him using Tomoe's purple silk scarf as an improvised bandage. But now he had to deal with the assassins sent to kill him before they succeed.

Speaking of which, Sumita raises his ax over his body and suddenly began sprinting towards the fox, his weapon prepared to strike him down with a single swing. Matt's weary eyes focus on the quickly approaching husky as best as he could, raising his blade at the moment Sumita attempted to attack him.

“Jenny…” Matt muttered softly, almost inaudibly shortly before the fox raises his blade the instant the husky swung his ax. He successfully blocks the attack, but again was knocked back from the force of the attack. But right as he manages to recover, several metallic claw-like blades horizontally strike his back painfully, yet the dull expression on Matt's face remained. “Tomoe…” he said softly with the same tone in his voice before slowly walking towards the husky, who had raised his ax and prepared for another attack.

Completely unaware from Matt, the Neo-Yaminobu ninja who struck him from behind began approaching the fox in a quick pace, his right pair of metallic claws being raised and prepared to kill the assassin. The jaguar was about to swing his unusually elongated arm at the fox when he spotted a gray furred mammal approaching the sight with the corner of his eye. Just as Matt suddenly strikes the husky by piercing his blade right through his gut, the jaguar quickly jumps backwards onto one of the branches of a nearby tree, thus hiding himself within the shadows of the forest. The jaguar's eyes glare directly towards the approaching gray mammal within the distance, his metallic claws unsheathed and ready to kill if necessary.

Judy Hopps had just arrived on the scene a moment after Matt had impaled the husky with his blade, the rabbit's eyes gazing directly towards the fox with a pair of shocked, frightened eyes. She was shocked with the sharp wits Matt had with a sword, and terrified at what he had just did. But more importantly, she was completely confused with the events that were currently transpiring right before her eyes.

“What the hell?!” Judy suddenly exclaimed and causing both the fox and the husky to turn their attention towards the gray furred bunny. Matt's eyes widen upon recognizing the bunny the instant he saw her, pulling his katana out of the Sumita's gut and causing the husky to collapse onto the ground. Although he had collapsed, he began slowly crawling away from the scene towards an unknown destination.

“Judy… what are you doing here?” Matt asked softly with panting breaths, although began approaching the bunny slowly despite his injuries.

“What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? What the hell's going on?!” Judy exclaimed with widened eyes, a gasp leaving her mouth and covers it with her hand-paws as soon as her eyes fix themselves on Matt's injured body. “Oh my god, Matt! You're bleeding!” she shouted, completely unaware that the jaguar had raised his right hand-paw and prepared to strike the bunny from behind.

Fortunately, however, Matt quickly catches this and narrows his eyes at the elongated limb of the ninja. Quickly grabbing the hilt of his wakizashi with his left hand-paw, the fox suddenly draws the short blade out and immediately throws the weapon like a dagger, much to Judy's surprise. The blade quickly pierces right through the ninja's metallic clawed hand-paw and pins it onto the tree it occupied, following a loud growl in pain. Judy quickly shifts her gaze towards the pinned hand-paw and gasps with shock. She was about to say something when Matt suddenly opened his mouth and causes the bunny to turn at his direction.

“Don't worry about me, Jude”, Matt began with soft, panting breaths while turning his head towards the rabbit. “I've been in many life or death situations within the past few years”, he added with a chuckle before gazing his eyes at the jaguar without turning his head, indirectly gazing at his direction. “As for you, I'll kill you in a minute, so stay put”, the fox ordered with a growl right before gripping the hilt of his katana tightly and beginning to walk towards the husky, who was still slowly crawling away from the scene despite his bleeding injury.

“Matt, what are you-”Judy began to ask, but the grunts coming from the jaguar remaining in the shadows had caused her sensitive ears to perk at the sound of his painful grunts and turns her attention towards the shadow assassin's direction. Her eyes gaze at his left hand-paw trying to pull the wakizashi out of his hand-paw before slowly gazing up along his unusually elongated arms.

“Ugh, I can't get the damn blade out! Damn you, Battousai!” shortly after the shadow assassin cursed, the rabbit's horrified scream snaps him from his attention and looks towards the bunny, who was not looking directly at his masked face. His eyes widen at this just before noticing the Battousai's gaze turning directly at him as well.

From what Matt and Judy can see, the jaguar was dressed in the exact same clothing as Sumita, yet with a few exceptions on the list. For one, he wore a pair of metallic clawed gloves on both of his hand-paws, one of which was gripping the hilt of the wakizashi tightly. Another distinction regarding his clothes was the face he wore a black mask that covered his head to its entirety, with a pair of large, fiery white pattern hovering around the eyes of the mask. But the last distinction was much more terrifying than anything else either one of them, or in Judy's case at least, was the unusually sharp teeth he bore in his mouth.

“I should've suspected it was you all along”, Matt began with narrowed eyes, panting as he spoke from his wounds. “The one rumored to be hiding in the shadows, moving about and killing his targets with a pair of metallic clawed gloves. The one who single handedly murdered Katagai”, the fox continued, much to the jaguar and Judy's surprise. “So that's what you truly are… Yatsume Mumyōi”, with the identity of the shadow assassin being revealed, the rabbit turns her head back to the masked jaguar and notices him growling with a mixture of both shock and anger.

“You both saw me…” the jaguar, now identified as Yatsume, growled with shock in his tone before turning his attention towards the assassin. “You know my name…” but shortly after he said those words, the long limbed jaguar quickly starts pulling his hand-paw upwards despite the consequences of having half of his hand-paw sliced in half. He honestly didn't care about the consequences. He honestly wanted to get the fuck out of there after he, the assassin of shadow, had been spotted.”This body is the legacy of the Yatsume family! It's the law of our family to kill anybody who sees us!” as he said this, the shadow assassin successfully pulls his hand-paw out of the wakizashi and immediately flees from the scene. “I will leave this fight for now, but I will kill you both! Time may pass and the years may change, but I will _kill_ you _**both**_! Especially you, Battousai the Animal Slayer!”

And with those last words, the assassin was out of their sights and leaving the two mammals there alone, with the exception of Sumita who was crawling away from them in the opposite direction from where Yatsume was heading. Judy turns her head towards Matt with a pair of wide eyes shortly after she heard the shadow assassin call Matt a certain name.

“Matt… you're Battousai the Animal Slayer…? The same assassin the authorities are looking for in Kawasabus?!” Judy asked with a shocked tone, the fox giving her a gently nod with narrow eyes.

“Yeah…” Matt replied softly, but Judy was able to capture his response thanks to her sensitive hearing. However, her ears perk up and turns to her right, the painful grunts from the husky catching her attention. Matt's eyes quickly gaze at the direction where Judy was looking at and catches him grabbing some sort of rope from the snow. That immediately causes his eyes to widen. “Oh shit…” he said softly before quickly turning to the rabbit. “Judy, get far away from here, now!”

“Matt, what are you-”

“NOW!” Matt quickly interrupted by grabbing her shoulders and quickly turning her a hundred eighty degrees, immediately shoving her in that direction as quickly as he could. It was then when she quickly starts running in that direction and turning back towards the fox who shoved her. She glared at him at first, but when she heard the faint 'snap' of a rope, following an explosion going off, she immediately sets her gaze in front of her and continues to speed off in the distance.

Matt, on the other hand, stood there with his eyes directed towards the explosion, seeing the husky's body become engulfed by the explosion itself. Matt quickly became blinded by the bright light from the explosion before being knocked backwards against a tree nearly fifty yards away from where he once stood. And by uttering Jenny's name softly, the fox's consciousness fades and his vision is quickly engulfed in darkness.

* * *

 

_**The Fourth Floor Courtyard, Bellwether Enterprises** _

The eyes of Tatsumi continue to remain focused on the New Otsu Woods near Bellwether Enterprises, his eyes glaring intently and his mind in complete thought. Jenny continues to do whatever she could to comfort Tomoe by keeping her arms wrapped around the vixen's body, yet both her and Tomoe's eyes remain fixed upon the tiger standing before them.

_**'BA-CHOOM'** _

The familiar sound caused the two women to shift their gaze towards the large light gray cloud forming within the woods, their eyes widening at one particular realization. To them, another battle had ended, and Matt had succeeded in killing or wounding his opponents. Tatsumi, on the other hand, realized that both Sumita and Yatsume had failed to kill the Battousai.

“He is stronger than I had expected after these many idle weeks since the Zootopia Incident”, Tatsumi began with a calm tone before closing his eyes. “I will be his final opponent. Then the Neo-Shogunate will remain unopposed”, after declaring himself to becoming Matt's next opponent, he reopens his eyes and turns his head towards the left, focusing his attention on the two women behind him. “I invite you two to watch me destroy that pernicious fox. It would be a fitting tribute for you both to see me exact vengeance for John Bellwether's loss”, the tiger continued. “He died for your sake, Tomoe, and for you to betray his memory would be an unforgivable dishonor”, and with that, he began walking away from the two women and walks directly to the heart of the courtyard itself.

“Bullshit…” Tomoe thought within her own mind. “If anything, he died for his sister's sake…” the vixen claimed inside of her mind shortly before feeling the rabbit place her hand-paws onto her cheeks, causing the older woman to look up at the younger one's face curiously. Instead of seeing a frightened look on Jenny's face, she saw one full of determination. And with the way her eyes gazed at Tomoe's in a serious manner, the vixen returns the gaze with a nod.

“Matt's still alive, and he will save us no matter the cost”, Jenny said softly prior to shifting her gaze towards the New Otsu woods. “I'm certain of that”, she continued with determination with the vixen staring at her in awe at first. However, she, too, turns her attention towards the woods and gazes at them, her eyes burning with determination and the knowledge of Matt coming to their aid.

* * *

 

_**New Otsu Woods, roughly two minutes later** _

Pain… pure, unimaginable pain…

That was the current feeling Matt was dealing with as of right now, continuously for nearly two minutes since the explosion had occurred. His eyes had been closed shortly after they had been completely engulfed in a bright, white light. Now they were only seeing darkness, at least until he attempted to reopen them. He slowly reopens them, but all he could see was the faintest outlines of the closest trees nearby. Even with that, he still couldn't make out much of the details of his current surroundings. That meant only one thing.

The explosion had blinded most of his keen vision.

But even with the temporary loss of his vision, the wounded fox slowly stands back up onto his feet-paws and uses his unsheathed katana as a walking cane to support himself. The only senses he had left were touch, taste, and smell. He couldn't taste anything within the environment, so that particular sense was pointless to use. And because of that, the only senses he can honestly rely on is smell and touch.

With the cold winds blowing through the woods, perhaps he can use this as a temporary navigator while using what little vision he has left until he recovers. With this in mind, the fox slowly starts walking towards the northwest in hopes of finding Tomoe and his precious bunny, Jenny.

Then all of the sudden, his nose twitches involuntarily the instant he caught a faint, but familiar scent blowing through the winds. It wasn't the smell of blood or burnt, furred flesh from Sumita's body, nor was it the scent of gun powder from the explosives the husky set off.

It was the scent of White Plums, the scene he had grown accustomed to since he had met Jenny.

Now that he had caught her scent, which was coming from the western direction, the fox follows the faint smell blowing through the winds. Slowly he walked and supporting himself with his sword, the panting fox kept following the faint scent of his lover's perfume in the west, the smell that gradually grew as he continued. His eyes were half-lidded and the wounds on his body continued to bleed slowly. He was exhausted, but he wasn't gonna stop until he had gotten both his bunny and his aunt back safely.

Not too far from his current position, Judy slowly reopens her eyes and relieves her hand-paws from her long ears, upon which she had covered moments before the explosion had occurred. And although her ears were ringing to a certain extent, she hadn't lost her hearing where the fox had lost most of his. Her eyes trail towards the sight where the disintegrated body of Sumita was located, whom for the most part had become nothing but burnt ash and bits of burnt furred flesh and bone. She covers her mouth at the sight, right until her left ear perked at the sound of faint footsteps leaving the scene. She quickly perks her head towards the left and gasps at what she had saw.

Matt was a complete mess, not to mention his wounds were slowly, but continuously bleeding. And shortly after her shocked gasp did she watch Matt collapse onto the ground and painting the white snow crimson with his blood. She starts sprinting towards his direction and immediately kneels next to him the instant the fox tried standing up.

“Matt, you're bleeding!” Judy suddenly exclaimed with wide eyes, yet the fox continued to try standing up as if she were never there. Before long, the fox manages to regain his stance and supports himself with his katana.

“Must… save… Jenny…” Matt began with soft, panting breaths before he began slowly parting towards the west. “Must… save… Tomoe…” the fox continued with panting breaths, and even with the ringing continuing to occupy Judy's ears, the bunny was able to capture what he said with almost perfect clarity. And as he was walking away from her, the rabbit came to one obvious conclusion.

“Good god. He's acting as if I'm not even here…” Judy thought inside of her mind as she gazes at the departing wounded fox. “If he's gotten completely delusional, then his injuries must be more serious than I thought…”, and as that thought crossed the rabbit's mind, the bunny stands back onto her feet-paws and began following the wounded fox, albeit within a safe enough distance to avoid startling the wounded assassin.

But there was one thing about Matt she had guessed right: He has become delusional after the second explosion…

* * *

 

_No longer was Matt standing within the_ _snowy environment of the_ _New Otsu Woods, but within an unknown plane of darkness where not even his nocturnal vision can see._ _However, a path of lanterns lightened his path a light yellow color_ _. Red flower pedals began falling from a massively sized tree on the right side of the path nearby,_ _yet the falling of red flower pedals and the tall tree up ahead wasn't the only thing occupying the darkness._

“ _Mr. Wilde, I was expecting you to return earlier this evening. What happened?_ _”,_ _the voice of Amaya spoke within the darkness, though to Matt's right, the gray furred vixen bearing a black kimono with red branch shaped patterns embedded on the garment itself. And right now, she was sitting in front of a shoji wall with her hand-paws concealed within the sleeves of her kimono._

“ _She'll need shelter, Amaya”, the voice of Matt replied to the vixen's own with a calm, quick tone as the injured fox continued along the lighted path in the darkness._

“ _You Ishin-Mirkwood soldiers are so industrious. You kill all night and still pick up a whore”, Amaya_ _'s voice replied with a tone filled with a mixture of distaste and calmness._

“ _She'll need a room”_

_And right after Matt's voice responded to Amaya's voice did the image of her vanish into thin air, never to be seen again with the vulpine's wounded mind. And now on the left side of_ _the trail stood_ _an unexpected figure. Nicholas P. Wilde was currently standing on what seems to be a concrete floor in nothing but a_ _pair of black slacks, a matching colored button up dress coat, and a dark cerulean blue neck sweater._

“ _Look… I already know for a fact you've killed a lot, I mean a lot, of mammals, and I can't say I condone what you're doing, or your reasons behind this”,_ _the voice of Nick began_ _. “But… If it wasn't for you… I wouldn't be here. So… thank you for saving me, Battousai… or whoever you are”, with those final words leaving the fox's mouth, the_ _image of Nick disappears into the darkness as the wounded assassin continues along the lighted path in the darkness of his mind_ _._

_Even as the fox continued to progress, he was soon met with another illusion from his past, one that happened just two months ago. On the right side of the lighted path stood both Thrandeer Katzuma and his nine-tailed kitsune companion, Maria, both of whom were in front of a shoji door. Thrandeer was currently sporting the usual Ishin-Mirkwood clothing attire while the kitsune herself was currently sporting a light purple kimono with dark indigo blue floral patterns on the garment._

“ _You two must get out of Kawasabus Immediately, and travel to New Otsu. I'll arrange a safe house for you. You will live and continue your education there as a High School couple”, the voice of Thrandeer said right before the illusion of both he and Maria dissipate in the air, leaving the fox to continue along the lighted path in the darkness._

_With panting breaths, the fox continued to progress along the path by using his katana to help support himself. Red flower pedals began falling onto the ground like snow falling from the cloudy skies. But even if he seemed to walk the path alone, that was certainly not the case. An illusion of Jenny began following the wounded fox sporting the same clothing she had worn at the Kazuki-Mai club the night of the Idekaya District incident, the shoulder cut long sleeve shirt, black leather pants and all. However, like Matt, her eyes were half-lidded, and she lacked a smile on her face. Her expression was unreadable, emotionless perhaps._

“ _Go to… New Otsu…” Matt uttered softly with panting breaths as he continued to progress along the lighted pathway in the darkness, the emotionless illusion of his bunny continuing to follow him from several feet behind. But even if the lights were guiding him in the darkness, the lights from the lanterns began to dim to almost nothing._

_Almost nothing…._

_But then another light suddenly forms from behind the fox, radiating his back with a slight hint of warmth upon his gradually cooling body. But that slight hint of light hitting his back was enough to cease the vulpine from his tracks, causing the male to turn around and look upon the source of the light._

“ _Go to…”_

_Instead of darkness, he was looking upon the reddish orange skies and the sun setting within a familiar set of woods. Was it the New Otsu woods? Or perhaps the Tri-Burrows forest near the correctional camp site? Honestly, he couldn't tell what, no, where he was exactly, nor did he care right at this moment. Instead of trying to figure it out, the vulpine turns around and continues along the direction he was going._

“ _New… Otsu….”_

* * *

 

Then at long last, he was no longer within the darkness of his mind, but near the end of the path in the New Otsu forest. The wind began blowing towards his direction and had provided clarity in his right eye. Although some of his vision had recovered, he still couldn't make out much of the features within the long distance, and a single tear of blood sheds from his right eye. But there was one thing he can make out with complete clarity:

Bellwether Enterprises.

And he was only five hundred yards away from the side parking lot leading to the front. And knowing this, five words leave the vulpine's mouth and range in correlation with the howling of the wind, only to be heard by a single gray bunny standing several feet away from the wounded fox.

“We'll go… to New Otsu!”


	24. A Hidden Truth Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! I am so sorry for the wait on the next installment. I'm admittedly having a slight bit of a writer's block along with having to think about how to have this particular chapter play out. I also have a Zootopia based side project in the making as well, which I will post in due time hopefully.
> 
> Anyways! I hope you enjoy, and I'll do my best to have the next installment out sooner!
> 
> Edit: Because of the changes with Karen's relationship with the Wilde Family, changes were made in this chapter to accommodate them.

_ **A Hidden Truth Revealed** _

  


The battles within the New Otsu woods were hard fought. Blood had been spilled, wounds had been received, and with the exception of one, all of the Neo-Yaminobu assassins have been slain. They were tough to say the least, but at long last, Matt Wilde had arrived to the place where Jenny and Tomoe are located, the same location where the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan leader lies.

Bellwether Enterprises.

And now that he had arrived, the wounded fox slowly approaches the front lot where the main entrance was located, using his sword as a cane to help support his weary self. The blood flowing from his wounds seemed to have slowed enough to where it is no longer a threat to his body, but that didn't mean he wasn't nearing the point he was in a life threatening condition. Nor did his injuries stop him from continuing to progress to the entrance.

But he wasn't the only one, however…

Ever since the fight between Matt, Sumita, and Yatsume, Judy Hopps had followed him to Bellwether enterprises in hopes he could perhaps lead her to her missing father. But as soon as they neared the parking lot, she gasped at the sight of one particular vehicle parked nearly thirty meters away from the entrance of the facility.

The Hopps Family Farm truck.

“My Dad's truck! He has to be here, I just know it!” Judy exclaimed suddenly following a sigh of relief, the rabbit soon beginning to sprint towards the entrance. “C'mon, Matt, we gotta-” she began, but was interrupted when the wounded fox suddenly grabs a hold of her left arm with his corresponding hand-paw. That particular movement stopped the bunny on her tracks and immediately causes the rabbit to turn directly towards the fox. “Matt, what the hell are you-”

“Stay here”, Matt quickly interrupted with a serious tone in his voice, despite his current condition. Even with one eye opened, he glares at the bunny with a narrow, very serious look on his face. “The Neo-Yaminobu leader's most likely waiting for me inside. I can't let you risk yourself getting killed”, the fox claimed honestly, although he was uncertain if whether or not the leader was actually waiting for him in the building. “If something happened to you-”

“What, are you crazy?! I can't stay here out in the cold!” Judy exclaimed while throwing her arms to her sides. “And your fuck's sake, you're a bloody mess right now! There's no way in hell I'm gonna-”

“I've dealt with these life or death situations a lot more than you realize”, Matt countered with a scoff. “You're practically standing right in front of the same fox who's slain over four hundred mammals within a course of over three years. So regardless of my current condition, I'll make sure those Neo-Shogunate bastard die by my own-”

“Matt, would you listen to me for a second!” Judy suddenly yelled, completely cutting the fox off and even catching him slightly by surprise, even if his facial expression didn't show it. “Look, I get you're an extremely skilled assassin, but even the most skilled killers become worn out after losing a lot of blood!” the rabbit cried. “You've lost a lot of blood, for Christ's sake! You need medical attention for crying out-”

“Judy, I've told you I've dealt with these life or death situations before, so stop worrying about me!” Matt snapped with an unintentional growl, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening only slightly. His nearly blinded open eye glared directly at the rabbit with a hard enough tone to drain every ounce of authority the bunny had in her. “Stay in the truck and do whatever you can to stay warm, and stay out of sight”.

“Stay out of sight?!” Judy scoffed, suddenly starting to become frustrated with the injured tod. “Matt, what the hell are you-”

“The last thing I want to happen to you is for Yatsume to track you down and kill you on sight. I'm grateful for the fact you care and all, but I need you to stop being so god damn stubborn and listen to me for once”, Matt quickly interrupted with a serious voice. “Do you have the keys to your father's truck?” that question caught the frustrated rabbit off guard right before she could retort, gazing at the vulpine with a pair of eyes filled with unexpected surprise.

“Matt-”

“Do you have the keys or not?!” Matt quickly asked, his patience with the bunny becoming thinner with every response she made.

“Yeah, I have a spare, but-”

“Then stop giving me some bull shit and stay here. Stay inside the truck and stay out of sight”, Matt ordered authoritatively, not in the mood to argue with the bunny any longer. “I'm gonna get Tomoe and Jenny out of this mess, kill the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu, and then we'll get the hell out of here. Now stay put!” and with that command, the fox turns back towards the front and began walking towards the entrance of the facility, albeit while using his sword to support himself. But even after taking a few more steps, a single hand-paw grabs a hold of his right shoulder.

That immediately set him off, and copious amounts of adrenaline began spurring within his injured body. With a loud growl being emitted from his muzzle, the fox quickly spins around and grabs the rabbit by her jacket and quickly pins her to the driver's side door, a loud yelp of pain leaving Judy's mouth the instant her back was forcefully pinned against the truck.

“A-hey! Let me-”

“For fucks sake, Jude! Why do you have to be so god damn persistent on tagging along?! Why can't you do what you're told for once?!” Matt yelled with a predatory growl, snarling directly at the bunny with flashing white canines exposed and his good eye having turned from jade green to a burning yellow color. Judy's eyes widen at the sight and soon began squirming in the fox's grasp, attempting to break free from his hold but to no avail.

“Matt, you don't understand!” Judy exclaimed while continuing to try and break free from Matt's grip, but his grip was iron, and she wasn't going anywhere so long he held her.

“Don't understand what?!” Matt growled, but the bunny ignored him and continued her feeble attempts in trying to break free from his grasp.

“Let me go!” Judy yelled.

“Why are you so insistent on tagging along?!” Matt immediately asked, narrowing his good eye with a fierce glare.

“Matt, let me GO!” Judy yelled with a mixture of both anger and desperation.

“Why?!”

“THEY KIDNAPPED MY DAD!!” the instant Judy shouted those words with a scream, Matt's good, narrowed eye immediately widens with shock, the fierce yellow color immediately changing back to its usual jade green color. Matt lost his snarl right as tears began streaming down the rabbit's eyes with heaving sobs. “We were attacked last night shortly after we settled at a motel halfway between Kawasabus and New Otsu. My father tried to hold them off while I was escaping and seeking help, but their leader struck him down and stole my truck shortly after we were ambushed”, the rabbit explained as best she could despite sobbing with tears continuously streaming down her face. “Their leader mentioned taking my Dad to Bellwether Enterprises shortly after they knocked my father unconscious…” right after she explained, the fox gazed at the bunny with his good eye wide open and slowly lowered the rabbit onto her feet, his grip no longer iron and released its hold from her jacket.

“What was the leader's name?” Matt asked with a much calmer voice, although with a serious tone in it.

“Tatsumi, I think. I heard that Yatsume guy mention his name right after he rendered my father unconscious”, Judy explained following a heavy sob leaving her mouth. “That's why I came here. I wanted to try and save my father before he got killed!” now the bunny was starting to sob heavily with her eyes clenched shut, tears continuing to flow from her eyes down her cheeks, her right hand-paw covering her eyes right as she continued crying. “I don't wanna lose my father! I don't wanna lose him!” and by this point, she was sobbing to the point she couldn't speak coherently.

At that point, Matt was looking at the bunny with his good eye wide open, his arms slumped to his sides. He closes his good eye and clenches tightly on the hilt of his sword to the point his muscles had flexed noticeably. He hadn't realized why Judy had become so insistent on following him inside until now, when she was only trying to save a family member she cherished so fondly. But even if he understood her intentions, he had no intention on having Judy get killed as a result of her trying to save her old man.

And in that instant, he knew what he had to do.

“I'll save your father, Judy”, as soon as Matt had said those words with a determined voice did the bunny suddenly look right at the fox's face with her amethyst eyes, which were now open wide.

“W-What?!” Judy began with a surprised tone, right before she clutches onto the fox's left arm tightly.

“I'm going to save your father, no matter what”, Matt answered right as he turns away from the bunny and began walking towards the entrance. A pair of hand-paws clutching his left arm, however, stop him dead on his tracks.

“Matt, you can't! You're wounded, for fuck's sake!” Judy exclaimed.

“It doesn't matter, Jude”, Matt replied as he shook his head a couple of times. “Regardless of my condition, I will do whatever I can to-”

“Yes it does!” Judy interrupted. “You can't fight Tatsumi in your current condition! You need medical attention right-”

“I DON'T CARE!” Matt yelled right before pulling his arm out of her grip and glaring directly at the bunny with his open right eye. “I can't let other people die because of the consequences of my actions! The last thing I need is for one of my friends to lose another mammal she cherishes by the hands of the Neo-Shogunate!” that particular statement immediately caused Judy to lose whatever urgent authority she had within her, now starting to gaze at Matt in both surprise and awe.

“Matt…” Judy uttered softly, watching the fox close his right eye and take a few, much needed deep breaths. And with a calm sigh leaving his mouth, he reopens his right eye and gazes at her softly.

“Look, I understand you're trying to get your father back. I really do”, Matt began with a much softer, understanding tone. “However, I'm fairly certain your father wouldn't want you to risk your life for him. He would want you to find a safe place to hide even at the cost of his own life”, the fox continued, the female rabbit gazing up at him with watery eyes before lowering her head.

“Matt…” Judy softly spoke under her breath, but the fox cups her chin with his left hand-paw and tilts her head up towards him.

“Do you trust me?” Matt asked softly, but with a serious look on his face.

“W-what?” Judy asked with a similar tone, although flabbergasted. “What are you-”

“Listen to me” Matt repeated. “I'm going to save your father, and I'm gonna make sure he makes a safe return to you. But I can't ensure his safety if I don't have your complete trust”, the fox continued. “So I'm asking you to put all of your trust in me…. Please”, the fox finished calmly, yet the bunny could've sworn she heard a slight hint of pleading in his voice. She honestly didn't know what to do, but before she could respond, the rabbit closes her eyes and nods gently.

“Okay…” Judy nodded as she replied to the fox. “I trust you, Matt…” and as she said those words, the fox gave a soft sigh of relief.

“Thank you”, Matt replied before tightening his grip around the hilt of his sword and began turning away from the bunny. But a pair of hand-paws grabbing his left forearm stopped him from continuing. His head turns towards the rabbit and notices the pleasing look in her glossy eyes.

“Please bring my Dad back safely… I can't lose him”, Judy pleaded with a few tears steaming down her cheeks, her lips quivering and quickly shutting her eyes. Matt turns around and gently pulls the rabbit into a soft, but comforting hug in an attempt to provide comfort for the bunny.

“Don't worry, Jude. I'll make sure your father makes a safe return. But for now, I need you to stay in the truck and stay out of sight”, Matt reassured before pulling his left arm back and grabbing a hold of the wakizashi by the top of its sheath, pulling it from the belt before moving it towards the bunny. “I doubt you'll need this, but I will lend you my wakizashi, just in case Yatsume comes back and tries to kill you”, the fox claimed calmly, yet with a serious tone in his voice. Judy gazes hesitantly at the weapon Matt was lending to her, but with a gently nod, the rabbit dries the tears off her face with her left forearm before grabbing the wakizashi with her right hand-paw.

“Alright”, Judy replied with a nod before the fox responded back with a nod and turns away from rabbit, starting to walk towards the facility's entrance and using his katana as a cane to support himself. “Oh, and Matt”, upon hearing the rabbit call his name, the fox stops on his tracks and turns his attention towards the bunny. “Be careful”, and with that, the bunny and fox turn away from one another and began walking to their respective destinations, with the rabbit walking to the truck and the tod walking towards the entrance to Bellwether Enterprises.

* * *

 

As soon as the fox stepped onto the black carpet in front of the automatic glass doors, the doors themselves slide apart from one another and allow the fox to enter the facility freely. His right eye was briefly greeted with a bright light only for the briefest of moments, yet his partially blinded vision soon readjusts to the lighting in the facility. And from what he could decipher, the facility practically looks as if it were recently made because of the cleanliness of the place. But the fox knew better than to assume it was brand new. Renovated, perhaps, but definitely not brand new.

But regardless of the current state of the place, whether recently renovated or withered away like an abandoned factory, now was not the time to determine the condition of the facility. The fox began to walk towards the receptionist desk roughly forty meters away from the entrance, hoping to find the answers needed regarding the location of both Judy's father along with the whereabouts of Jenny and Tomoe. Unfortunately, however, when he got to the back of the receptionist desk, he couldn't reach the desk because of it being suited for larger predators or prey like tigers, rhinos, or various others.

Yet just as soon as he did, his open right eye notices a chair that was luckily well within his reach. His The vulpine sheaths his sword and jumps on top of the rather large roller chair meant for larger predators and prey, albeit with some difficulty because of his injuries. But once he stepped foot onto the cushion, the fox grabs the desk and carefully rolls the chair towards the desk. This allowed him to be within reach of the computer itself. However, he had came across a problem.

The computer was much too large for him to use, even the keyboard was much too large for him to use.

Luckily for him, however, the computer itself was up and running, and a map of the first floor was being displayed on the huge, rhino sized computer monitor. But the map itself wasn't the only reason why the fox was lucky. It was also because one of the rooms on the first floor happened to be a surveillance room, a room he could possibly find a computer that was relatively around his size. His right eye gazes at the map for a couple of minutes and seizes the opportunity to memorize the location of the security room along with the hallway in which it was located.

With this new information in mind, the fox pushes the roller chair back a bit and pulls his katana out of its sheath, jumping down onto the tile floor and using his blade to support himself. The fox walks away from the desk and turns to the left, which lead to the hallway leading directly towards the first floor surveillance room. His grip tightens around the hilt of his sword and he continued to use it to support himself and prevent him from collapsing onto the floor. But even with the weary state he was in, he had no intention of resting until he saved Jenny, Tomoe, and Stu.

It didn't take him long to arrive to the door where the surveillance room was located. Although it was a large door, the fox was fortunate the doorknob was barely within his reach. He raises his left hand-paw and clutches the circular knob securely before turning the doorknob to the left, pushing the door forward and entering the surprisingly dark room. But there was one thing odd about the surveillance room.

Every single computer, both big and small, were up and running, just like the computer at the receptionist's desk. As odd as this was, at least he didn't have to wait on booting he surveillance computers in order to search for his loved ones and Judy's father.

Talk about convenient, huh?

But with this discovery, the fox starts walking slowly into the room and started glancing around the wide screen monitors, a few of them displaying various parts of the facility, from the basement levels up to the fifth floor. Yet most of them, however, were either not working properly, or the computers themselves were corrupted. By far, nothing had caught his attention…

That is, until he spotted a file containing a recording dated on September 29th, 2009, the day John Bellwether had been murdered.

At the sight of the odd recording, the fox approached the medium sized monitor and sheaths his sword, grabbing a hold of the mouse and double clicks on the file containing the dated recording. He wasn't sure why, but he was compelled to see what the recording depicted. He had to know…

With the click of the mouse, the footage contained within the folder began to play on the monitor. The fox gazes intently at the footage and began to decipher the environment within. But from what he could see, he notices a female sheep dressed in a black businesswoman's suit sitting inside some sort of office. She appeared to be writing something in a journal she had on the desk, yet soon stopped abruptly the instant she perked her head upwards, the same instant her office door was. But when a familiar figure came into view, Matt's right eye widens with unexpected surprise.

“Iizuka… what was he doing there?” Matt asked within his mind and continued to watch the tanuki approach the desk where the female sheep sat. The fox's eyes gaze to the right corner of the monitor and examine the time in which it was recorded. The time this meeting had occurred at approximately One in the morning. “And roughly five hours after John Bellwether's assassination?” questions much like this one continue to form within the fox's mind, right as he shifts his partially blinded gaze towards the recording, hearing the tanuki clearing his voice shortly before the ewe began to speak.

* * *

 

“ _Oh, Iizuka! How may I help you?” The sheep asked with a curious expression on her face,_ _not expecting the tanuki to come into her office at this_ _hour._

“ _I'm afraid I've come bearing bad news, Dawn Bellwether_ _”,_ _Iizuka said in the recording shortly before a_ _sight leaves his muzzle_ _. “_ _As of_ _five_ _hours ago, J_ _ohn Bellwether_ _was slain by Hitokiri_ _Battousai_ _in an alleyway_ _in Kawasabus_ _”,_ _after the tanuki had told her what had happened to John, a loud gasp leaves her mouth and covers it with her hoofs_ _._

“ _W-What?_ _”, Dawn replied_ _with pure, grief-driven shock in her voice, slowly shaking her head in pure disbelief in regards to what she had heard just now_ _. “_ _That's impossible! There's no way he could've_ _”, the ewe_ _stuttered with a mixture of emotions. Grief, shock, anger, and fore-coming depression_ _. “_ _Oh please, dear god no!_ _”_ _the sheep shook her head rapidly as she said those words, right as she steps out of her chair and rushes towards the tanuki. Her hoofs grab his shirt and pull him close to him. “This can't be true! There's just no way!”_

“ _I'm sorry, Dawn… but unfortunately, its the truth”, Iizuka responded right before he places his hand-paws onto her shoulders. “John fought valiantly for you, Dawn”, the male soothed gently before pulling the distressed ewe into his arms and began providing comfort for her. “Richard and Salazar did everything they could to defend him, even in death”, the tanuki continued with the same tone in his voice, resting his head on top of hers for a moment and continued to comfort the woman as best he could._

_Dawn buries her face in the predator's chest and started sobbing shortly after she did, with tears streaming down her face and onto the other mammal's chest. Her shoulders were shuddering in correlation with her sobs, and her arms were trembling with sadness. She literally could not believe it. Her brother slain by Battousai the Animal Slayer? How could this have happened? Those questions constantly coursed her mind as she wept in the arms of Iizuka._

_A couple minutes later, she pulls away from the predator's arms and looks up towards him, with the white of her green eyes now turned a pinkish-red thanks to having been crying for two straight minutes. Her eyes soon narrow and her brows furrowed in anger._

“ _The Battousai will pay for what he did to my brother!” Dawn suddenly growled angrily while clenching her hoofs into fists. She closes her eyes and began breathing through her nose a few times before looking back up towards Iizuka's face with her eyes filled with angry determination. “Iizuka, what clan was the Battousai in?”_

“ _The Ishin-Mirkwood clan, Dawn”, Iizuka answered, right before he began to form a grin on his face._

“ _The same clan you've joined under our orders?” Dawn asked, receiving a nod of confirmation from the tanuki shortly after she asked. Now that she knew this, she tilts her head down and tightens her fists, much to the point where blood began to drip from her hoofs. “Gah! I can't believe this happened!” the ewe suddenly shouted right before she turns away from the predator and slams her fists against her desk. “Dammit!”_

“ _Dawn, take it easy!” Iizuka suddenly said with his hand-paws raised, only to receive a rather deadly glare from the sheep herself._

“ _Take it easy? Take it EASY?!” Dawn suddenly shouted. “How the fuck can I take it easy if the Battousai is still out there slaying mammals involved in the Neo-Shogunate party! How the fuck can I take it easy after he killed my brother!” the ewe continued to shot following a short pause for a sob to escape her mouth. “How the fuck can I-”_

“ _ENOUGH!” Iizuka shouted from the top of his lungs, his gangs bared and his arms thrown up into the air. “We'll deal with the Battousai as soon as an opening can be found. But we can't do that if you're shouting out random bullshit!” the tanuki claimed with a growl, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths in order for him to calm down and continue with a clearer mind. “Look, I understand your brother was slain several hours ago. But right now, we need to focus on properly planning the Battousai's assassination”, the predator continued with a much calmer voice, diluting the anger that resided in the eyes of the sheep in front of him. And although she was still pissed, she closes her eyes and nods with understanding._

“ _Alright… alright”, Dawn replied, shortly before she reopened her eyes and glared at him with a serious expression on her face. “What do you suggest we do?”_

“ _You're not gonna like this one bit. But…” Iizuka began, right before he closes his eyes and inhales some oxygen into his lungs, only to exhale a short moment afterwards. “We have no choice but to call upon the Neo-Yaminobu”, right as that came out of his mouth, the ewe cursed under her breath before shaking her head a couple times._

“ _Damn… why did I have a strange feeling you'd suggest such a thing”, Dawn asked in disbelief._

“ _Look, I'm not particularly fond of most of them, but luckily I happen to know a few who are much more reliable than the others”, Iizuka claimed, right before a smirk began to form on his muzzle. “You focus on recovering from your loss. Leave everything to me”._

“ _I understand”, Dawn replied with a nod right as she uses her left arm to dry the tears off of her face. Then she looks back at him and glared at him with a subtle hint of a smirk on her face. “You've done a great service for us so far. Once the Neo-Shogunate takes control of the entire country, I'll be sure to grant you a key position as a part of the new government”, the sheep added with a grin forming on her face. “You go on ahead and make your leave. The last thing I need is the Ishin-Mirkwood clan to suspect you for being our spy”._

“ _Thank you”, Iizuka responded with a respectful bow, right before he turns a hundred eighty degrees and started walking away from the female ewe. “Take care”, and with those last words, the tanuki waves dismissively towards the sheep and the recording comes to an abrupt stop._

* * *

 

“What the fuck is this…?” Matt thought with his right eye shot wide open and his mouth slightly agape after watching the video. He had discovered a truth he did not expect to discover for himself. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. “Dammit! I've should've known!” as those words left the injured fox's mouth, he slams his fists onto the desk with an angry snarl. “Iizuka has been the traitor all along! God Dammit!” the fox was furious now that he knew Iizuka was the traitor all along, the real mastermind behind leaking the information to the Neo-Shogunate government. Had he figured this out sooner in Zootopia, he would've slain Iizuka at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp.

However, now was not the time to think of such matters, for there were lives currently at stake. The fox took several deep breaths as an attempt to sate his anger, wanting to try and find Jenny, Tomoe, and Stu before something had happened to them. His right eye focuses on the computer screen before him and moves the mouse to the surveillance tab, clicking on it and allowing him to see the surveillance footage for the cameras on the first floor.

“Alright, now to track down Jenny and Tomoe”, Matt thought inside of his mind, right as he kept clicking all of the cameras displayed on the first floor. However, none of them depicted what he was looking for, and decided to check the second floor. He was about to click on the first camera on the second floor, right until he saw the fourth floor icon flashing on the top left of the screen. “What's this?” he asked in his head before moving the mouse cursor to the fourth floor icon and clicks on it. That's when he saw some movement on the camera in the courtyard area. He hovers the cursor over the camera depicting the courtyard area and clicks on it, watching the camera feed enlarged enough to cover most of the screen.

And what he saw made his right eye widen with surprise.

The screen depicted both Jenny and Tomoe holding each other in a comforting embrace, with Tomoe's face showing signs of swelling on the left side of her face. He was about to wonder about the person responsible with leaving her aunt bearing a bruise on the left side of her face, but when his eye spotted the tiger waiting at the heart of the courtyard. Based off the clothing the fox spotted on the tiger's body, he was certain he was the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu ninja clan.

The same ninja who was responsible in the capture of his brother, Nick, barely a month ago, unbeknownst to the assassin.

“So he must be the guy Judy told me about”, Matt began within his mind before narrowing his right eye sternly. “Tatsumi, the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan”, the fox added in his head following a soft growl leaving his mouth. “Now I know where to find them. Now to find where they're holding Stu”, shortly after that thought coursed Matt's mind, his right eyes notices the icon for the basement level flashing similarly to how the fourth floor icon flashed. He hovers the cursor over the basement level icon and clicks on it, thus shrinking the courtyard camera and pulling up the nine basement level cameras almost immediately. All of them were idle, and many of them lacked activity within them.

Except for one….

The middle camera depicted enough movement to where it caught Matt's attention, the fox moving the cursor to the middle camera and double clicks on the rectangular box depicting the footage. The surveillance footage enlarged enough to where it covered most of the screen and allowed the assassin to look closer at the contents within the footage. And what he saw instantly made his right eye widen with unexpected surprise.

Stu Hopps was currently inside a holding cell that looked much identical to a padded cell seen at an asylum. Parts of his body, particularly his face, was covered in bruises, with both his ankles and his wrists bound by metallic shackles attached to the padded wall. He was pretty much in the same attire Matt had seen him wear, albeit with his clothes being torn along with his hat being missing. Perhaps as a result of the encounter with the Neo-Yaminobu clan Judy told him about recently? While that was likely, the fox wasn't entirely certain.

One thing he was certain about now was the location of the people he needed to save. Now came two questions that began pondering in his mind: Shall he go save Jenny and Tomoe first and save Stu right afterwards? Or would it be better to go save Stu Hopps first and then go save Jenny and his aunt?

He wondered for a least a minute between the two questions before making a decision on what to do next. And it was in that moment he decided to take the latter decision: get Stu out of captivity and then head to the fourth floor and save both his mate and his aunt. With his decision made, the fox walks away from the computer and exits the room, turning to the left and spotting an elevator within the distance.

The fox presses the down button the instant he arrived to the entrance of the elevator, watching the stainless steel doors slide open for the fox. The assassin enters the elevator and presses the button for the basement level, thus allowing the doors to close and for the elevator to descend towards the designated level. It took only a few seconds to reach the level, but as soon as the doors open, the fox exits the lighted elevator and enters the dimly lighted hallway, the lights flickering on and off repetitively at certain portions of the hall. But even with being partially blinded from the previous explosion earlier, along with the lights being barely lit, his nocturnal vision still helped enable the vulpine to see.

Now that he was no longer inside of the elevator, the vulpine began walking along the hallway and surveyed his surroundings. From what he can tell, this portion of the facility didn't look as renovated like the first floor. Aside from the obvious flickering of the lights, he noticed the walls were stained with subtle hints of grime that were completely noticeable in the flickering lights. But that wasn't the only thing that stained some of the walls.

In fact, some of the walls in the holding cells, from what Matt could see through the windows, were stained with noticeable hints of dried blood. Did something happen within Bellwether Enterprises he wasn't made aware of? Does it have anything to do with the incident at the Ishin-Mirkwood camp? These questions popped into his mind, but nevertheless, he continues to walk along the dimly, flickering lighted hall in relative silence.

His right eye continues to survey his surroundings within the best of its ability, hoping to find the holding cell Stu was located in. But all of the sudden, he came to an abrupt stop when his partially deaf ears flickered at a faint sound coming from behind, the fox quickly turning around to find the source of the barely audible commotion. Yet his partially blinded eye could not find the source of the sound.

Nothing was even there to begin with, yet there was something still bothering him….

“I could've sworn I've heard something…. Am I becoming delusional?” Matt thought inside of his own mind, keeping his gaze locked towards the direction he had came from, and the direction in which the faint sound was heard. But with a soft sigh, he turns around and continues to walk slowly towards the direction he was heading. “Its probably nothing… yet there's this feeling I can't shake off. I feel like I'm being watched by some odd presence…” he wasn't sure of what to think at this point, but right now he had to focus his attention on finding Stu Hopps and getting him out of here.

Speaking of Stu, it didn't take the fox much longer to find the fatherly rabbit, because the fox's right eye spots the bunny being held within a holding cell right next to the medical room up ahead. And when he found him, the fox grabs the doorknob leading into his cell and attempts to open the door. However, it wouldn't budge, which meant the door itself was locked.

Now that he stumbles upon this particular problem, the tod takes a few steps back and gets into his battojutsu stance, gripping the hilt of his sword with his right hand-paw tightly and focusing his right eye on the door. He waited only for the slightest of moments, but in an instant, he unsheathes the sword and severs the large door into several pieces within a fraction of a second. And alas, the locked door was destroyed, and a completely shocked yelp was heard from the older bunny inside.

“Whoa! What in tar-nation?!” Stu exclaimed with shock right after he saw what Matt had done to the door. But even as his eyes remain locked on damage Matt had done, the fox himself began approaching the rabbit and sheathes his sword as he drew closer.

“It's alright, Mr. Hopps. It's just me”, Matt spoke responded with soft, panting breaths as he drew closer to the bound bunny. Once he had gotten close enough, the fox slams on each one of the shackles using the back of the hilt of his sword, with each one snapping in two easily thanks to the caliber of his strength combine with his Hiten Mitsurugi sword style. Stu falls onto his feet-paws immediately after the binds were destroyed and began rubbing his wrists gently. “Are you alright?” he asked calmly as he turns towards his direction.

“Yeah… I am now”, Stu replied with a nod, his eyes focused on his own wrists as he rubbed them. “Thanks, For a second, I thought I was a-” he began, but as the bunny's gaze shift's towards Matt, his eyes quickly widen into a horrified expression the instant he saw his condition. “Good lord, Matt! What in God's name happened to you?!” he exclaimed with shock.

“Don't worry about me, Mr. Hopps… I'm alright”, Matt replied calmly, albeit with soft, panting breaths because of the injuries he received.

“Like hell you are, Matt! You're bleeding all over the place”, Stu replied as he gestured towards the vulpine's wounds with his hand-paws.

“Mr. Hopps… Seriously, I'm-”

“Don't give me that, Matt! You need medical attention right now!” Stu yelled at the fox almost authoritatively like a parent scolding their child. Matt was prepared to speak, but stopped when the bunny raises his right hand-paw towards him. “There's a medical room next door we can go to and get those wounds treated. And please, for the love of god, don't tell me you're fine”, the bunny continued following a soft sigh leaving his mouth. “Look, I'm no doctor, but one of my daughter's happened to be a nurse and taught this old buck a thing or two on how to treat injuries. At least let me tend those wounds of yours… please”, the rabbit begged, yet the fox lowers his gaze to the floor and stared at it for at least a good minute. But then, a soft sigh leaves his mouth and looks back up to the bunny, a small, genuine smile being seen on his face.

“Alright…” Matt replied with a nod, much to the relief of the older bunny. But even with Stu being nervous around him, with Matt being a fox and all, he was still relieved the fox was able to listen to his pleas. And with that, the rabbit starts rushing towards the medical room next door, with the vulpine following behind.

Fortunately, when they arrived to the front door of the medical room, they discovered the door was already unlocked, much to their convenience. Matt was tall enough to reach the doorknob and grabs a firm hold of it before twisting the knob to the left. The vulpine pushes the door open and the two enter the medical room, with Stu supporting the fox by grabbing the vulpine's right arm and placing it over his shoulders. Stu may be shorter than the fox, but he was certainly strong enough to support the fox. And as they entered, the bunny uses his right foot-paw to close the door behind them, leaving them alone and allowing Stu to tend to Matt's wounds.

* * *

 

Nearly thirty minutes had passed since the two had entered the medical room next door. A this point, Matt's wounds were mostly tended to, save for the current bandage he was applying on the fox's right shoulder. Matt's strongly built torso was practically revealed to the bunny, with his abdominal region being covered in white gauze wrap tight enough to help cover the slash rounds he had received on his back from Yatsume earlier. But with his shoulders also becoming wrapped in gauze wrap bandages, it almost looked like the fox was wearing a modified tank top stained with bits of blood on his back and shoulders.

Yet during the thirty minute gap between the time he started tending to Matt's wounds to the moment he finished them, Stu couldn't help but occasionally look back and forth between both Matt's face and the injuries on his body. He's seen him only a few times before, one of them back at the motel in October, and again at the residence yesterday. Yet there was something about him that reminded of someone he met before… but who?

“Is something bothering you?”, Matt said softly with a thankful tune, snapping the bunny out of his train of thought before looking up at the wounded fox.

“Huh? Oh, uh, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment, Matt”, Stu replied with a nod, all while he watched the fox put his three-fourths sleeved shirt back onto his torso, covering his bandages except for the parts in which his shirt was torn. But even while he was putting on his shirt, a light chuckle managed to escape the fox's mouth for a reason the male bunny was unaware of.

“I have a feeling there's more to it than what you're telling me”, Matt responded, turning his gaze towards the bunny and looking at him with a calm expression on his face, yet bore a slight hint of a smile on his face. Yet the barely noticeable smile turns into a calm frown. “Tell me what's on your mind”, the fox added calmly, placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets while locking his one open eyed gaze towards the rabbit.

“Well… it's just”, Stu began, right before he closes his eyes and lets a soft sigh. “Every time I look at you, I keep getting this feeling that I met you somewhere, and I can't think of the darn reason on why”, the bunny continued, right before opening his eyes and looking at the muscular fox sitting on a leather bench nearby. “There was this vixen and her nephew Bonnie and I met at the Carrot Days Festival eight and a half years ago in Bunnyburrow. If I recall correctly, I believe her name was Karen Longstride. She and her nephew came up to us and-”

“Asked for directions to the Tri-Burrows Correctional Camp. Believe me, I still remember that day as if it were yesterday”, Matt interrupted, remembering that moment as clear as day. Unfortunately, it was also the last day he saw his aunt alive, whom had died amongst nearly two hundred other attendees during the attack on the campsite. And on that same night, he had to bury every single corpse at the Correctional Camp grounds they were killed, victim and murderer alike.

Stu retains his gaze at the fox for at least another moment with a cocked brow, almost suspicious behind the young vulpine's words. But the longer he looked at him, the more he could see the truth behind his words. And then it all clicked, and his eyes instantly shoot wide open upon such realization!

“You're Karen's nephew, aren't you, Matt?” right as Stu asked, the vulpine nods in response before turning his gaze at the bunny.

“Yeah… I am”, Matt replied with a light nod.

“And what happened to her? Shouldn't she be worried about you?” Stu asked while placing his hand-paws inside of his pockets, his gaze hardening towards him as he kept asking questions regarding his mother. However, the fox turns away from the bunny and lets a soft, depressed sigh leave his mouth.

“Unfortunately… Karen's not around anymore”, Matt answered, his hand-paws gently grabbing his thighs just above the knees. “Shortly after we got registered at the Correctional camp site, we were attacked by bandits within the area”, he explained, closing his right eye and shaking his head softly for a moment before he ceased his actions and reopened his right eye half-liddedly. “Everybody at the site was slain by the bandits, including my aunt. I was the only survivor…” as soon as he told the bunny regarding the fate of his aunt, along with the others who were where that fateful night, Stu's hardened gaze softened and his eyes widen upon hearing this.

“And what of the bandits?” Stu asked calmly, yet with a slight hint of fear in his voice. Even as he asked, he honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to here what happened to the bandits that same night.

“They were slain by my former master, Hiko Seijuro”, Matt answered. “But… if he hadn't come when he had, I most certainly would've died”, the fox finished with a nod right before he stands up onto his feet-paws and clutches the top of his sword's sheath, turning his attention to the rabbit right after doing so. “Speaking of relatives, your daughter's waiting for you in your truck as we speak. She started looking for you shortly after you were attacked last night”, right after the fox said that, the bunny's eyes widen with complete surprise.

“Wait, how did you-”

“Your daughter told me everything”, Matt interrupted with his right hand-paw raised, yet lowers it about a moment or two later. “She's waiting for you inside the truck at the front parking lot. Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you there after I take you to the elevator, for I have other business to tend to”, the fox claimed, right as he started walking towards the large door. He reaches for the knob and was about to turn it, when a thought suddenly crosses his mind. “Though there is one more thing I wanna ask you”, the vulpine suddenly said, right as he turns around and notices the bunny approaching him.

“What is it?” Stu asked curiously, yet with a cocked and slightly suspicious brow.

“At the festival about eight and a half years ago, was Judy ever attacked by another fox?” Matt asked, and that definitely got an expected reaction from Stu, seeing his eyes widen with shock upon hearing him ask that particular question.

“Uh, y-yeah”, Stu stuttered slightly. “There was this one fox we knew back in the Tri-Burrows region named Gideon who struck her left cheek with his claws. But her fur's grown back enough to cover them now”, the bunny answered, yet soon regained the curious and suspicious brow shortly after he answered the fox's question. “How did you-”

“I saw the whole thing happen at the time Karen and I were heading towards the Correctional Camp”, Matt interrupted. “Although I wasn't sure if whether or not she was your daughter at the time, so I honestly wasn't able to say anything. Not to mention were were running late as it was”, he added. “However, that does answer why you acted the way you did towards me a couple months back, and why you were hesitant around Tomoe and I yesterday as well”, the fox finished all while looking towards the nervous bunny behind him.

“Well I… er… um…” Stu began right as he started rubbing the back of his head nervously. However, Matt raises his right hand-paw upwards in order to silence the other male.

“Don't worry about it, Mr. Hopps”, Matt interrupted calmly before lowering his hand-paw to his side. “I'm not particularly fond of your prejudice towards my kind. I can understand it, however, because of what happened to your daughter. Though I would recommend you try to overcome them as soon as possible, alright”, he suggested to the bunny. But although the rabbit was unsure if whether or not he could overcome his… _concerns_ regarding foxes, he had to try (or at the very least, tolerate foxes for the time being).

“Alright”, Stu replied with a nod. “I can't make any promises, Matt, but I will try”, but even after the bunny said that, the fox nods with understanding and turns back to fact the door, grabbing the doorknob and turning it to the left before pulling the door open. That was the moment both he and Stu leave the medical room and began departing towards the elevator.

But down the hall opposite of the direction where Stu and Matt were heading, a lone, feminine sheep who was roughly about two feet eleven inches tall hid within the shadows of the dimly lit hall. Her green eyes glare narrowly towards the two males with an angered snarl, and a gun of some sort being gripped tightly on her right hoof.

During the time Stu was tending to Matt's wounds, Dawn Bellwether sought the opportunity to leave the fifth floor surveillance room and make her move against the assassin. She had grabbed the weapon from her office along with a clip containing blue pellets within them. For the passed several minutes, she hid with the shadows with the gun gripped tightly on her right hoof. And now she was watching them departing to the elevator, along with her being out of sight, the sheep seizes the opportunity to aim the firearm towards the vulpine before placing her index finger onto the trigger.

“Bye bye, Battousai”, and as those words quietly left the sheep's mouth, Dawn pulls the trigger and fires a pellet directly towards the assassin himself. Matt's ears, despite being nearly deaf, flicker at the sound of the approaching projectile and turns around. But by the time he did was when he felt a ping on the left side of his neck, making the fox reflexively grab the area.

“What the hell?” Matt asked softly right as he moves his left hand-paw towards the front. He was curious of what hit the left side of his neck, despite feeling a slightly burning sensation starting to form at the exact same spot. His right eye notices the blue liquid on his gloved hand-paw, narrowing his right eye on it a bit to help focus on it.

That's when everything clicked! The blue liquid and the burning sensation that was slowly increasing on the left side of his neck. In that instant, he immediately realized what the liquid itself was.

“Fuck! I've been darted by a Night Howler pellet”, Matt thought inside of his mind before turning towards the direction where the bullet had come from. But by the time he did, the person who fired it was already gone, with the faint sound of another elevator being heard at the other part of the hall. His breathing slowly grew rapid, his shoulders were shivering up and down in correlation with his panting. And the burning sensation he felt on his neck began to quickly spread throughout his body to the point growls began escaping his mouth. It was those same growls that immediately grabbed the older bunny's attention

“Matt, is everything alright?” Stu asked out of concern shortly before the fox suddenly collapses onto the ground, his right arm wrapping around his abdominal while his left grasps the corresponding side of his neck.

“No, I'm not!” Matt replied with a slight hint of an unusual growl in his voice, much to the bunny's surprise. His ears perk upward, and his eyes widen with a mixture of fear and shock in his voice. Matt gets back onto his knees and uses his right hand-paw to support himself. “Stu, listen to me!” he began with heaving growls leaving his mouth, his eyes turned away from the rabbit and doing whatever he could to resist the influence of the Night Howlers. “I've been struck by a Night Howler pellet!”

“Night Howler pellet? What in the hell are you-”

“Listen to me!” Matt interrupted with an unusually harsh growl, silencing the frighten bunny before the fox continued to speak with partially guttural growls. “Judy's waiting in the truck… at the front parking lot!” the fox explained as best as he could before closing his right eye tight and grasping the sides of his head. His blood was boiling, his mind was becoming clouded, and his body ached with an excruciating, burning pain. “You must… get out of here… before its too late!” the fox exclaimed, albeit with a guttural growl, doing everything he can to resist the Night Howler influence afflicting his mind.

“Matt, there's no way I'm leaving you here!” Stu suddenly exclaimed with a frown and began marching towards him, unaware that the fox was starting to snarl with his white fangs slowly revealing themselves. “We have to get you-”

“GO!!!” Matt shouted from the top of his lungs, again with a growl in his voice right before reopening his right eye. The tone of his voice caused the male bunny to flinch in fright. But the growl in his voice wasn't the only thing that made the rabbit tremble with fear. It was the iris in Matt's pupil that also made him tremble with fear. The iris in his eye was currently shifting back and forth between a sharp slit and a circular shape, which unbeknownst to him, symbolized the internal battle between the Night Howler's influence and Matt's mind.

But even as he saw this, Stu's frightened expression shifts from that of feat to a determined frown on his face.

“Alright, I understand”, and right after those words left the old rabbit's mouth, Stu quickly turns around and rushes towards the elevator, hopping high enough to press the 'open' button and allowing the elevator doors to open. He quickly enters and hops high enough to press the button to the first floor, immediately shifting his gaze towards Matt and watching him attempt to stand back up onto his feet-paws. “Godspeed, Matt”, he uttered under his breath prior to the elevator doors closing, thus allowing the elevator to ascend towards the upper level and take the rabbit to his destination.

Completely unaware to both Matt and Stu, Dawn Bellwether was currently riding the other elevator towards the fifth floor. She held a black ICarrot 3G phone on her right hoof and gazed intently towards the phone's screen. What was being depicted on the screen was the current security footage taking place in the Basement Level of the facility, particularly focused on the fox who was now quivering in pain.

However, something wasn't right about this, and her green eyes gaze at the current state of Matt's body.

“I don't understand…” Dawn thought within her mind as her eyes narrow slightly at the phone's screen, continuing to watch the vulpine trying his best to fight off the Night Howler's influence. “He should've gone savage right now, and yet he's resisting the serum's influence. How is he able to resist the effects of the serum so easily…?”

“ _You should know better than to assume the Night Howler serum would be able to effect an assassin, let alone, Battousai the Animal Slayer_ ”, Enishi's voice suddenly rang through the ear piece attached to her ear, almost as if he had read her mind. The ewe snaps her attention away from the screen and grabs the ear piece with her hoof.

“Ugh! What do you mean?!” Dawn exclaimed suddenly.

“ _In other words, regardless of the amount of the strength the Night Howler_ _ha_ _s, it can never break the mind of a swordsmammal so long their mind is razor sharp_ ”, Enishi claimed on the other end of the line, much to the ewe's disliking. “ _However, we do not have time for anymore discord. Report back to the fifth floor surveillance room immediately_ ”, and with that, the vulpine on the other line hung up and leaves the sheep in her own train of thought. But soon enough, she tilts her head up the instant the elevator doors open.

“Stupid pred”, and right after those words quietly left Dawn's mouth, the ewe starts dashing towards the fifth floor surveillance room with haste.

* * *

 

_**Within an Unknown Plane…** _

_Nothingness… a plane in which nothing but the faintest of blue light can be seen. But even with the blue light being seen from the bottom of the plane, it wasn't enough to lighten the dark realm. But even with the realm being void of anything, it was not uninhabited. In fact, the supposedly non-occupant realm was currently occupied by two figures within._

_Matt Wilde was currently fighting against a savage version of himself, and his jade green eyes glaring towards the savage fox's blood red pair. The muscular vulpine's breaths were nearly heavy much like how his eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion. He was a very strong mammal, indeed, but this savage beast, this hugely herculean beast form of himself, was in an entirely different class._

_Speaking of the savage beast, Matt's eyes gaze towards the monster intently with his blade raised. From what he knew, the monster was definitely nearly three times his normal size, and his muscles were bulging with thick veins across his arms and parts of his chest. His clothing was much like Matt's yet mostly ripped across various parts of his body. But even with the herculean mass of muscle and the sheer size of the beast, that wasn't the only thing that was terrifying feature about him._

_What was more terrifying about the savage beast was the fact his fangs were much longer and sharper than Matt's own set of teeth, with his muzzle being pulled back in a fierce snarl to reveal such canines. The fur on his body was sticking upward fiercely to radiate a strongly aggressive aura around the monster. If that weren't enough, his claws would be more than enough to send shivers down one's spine. They were just as sharp and long as his teeth, all to serve a similar purpose._

_To kill the target before the monster. And in this case, Matt Wilde._

“ _Shit… This furball's a lot stronger than he looks” Matt swore under his breath while he did his best to keep his stance, his vision slightly blurring back and forth between clarity and a blur. “This isn't good. If I don't do anything to stop him now, I'm fucked”, the fox spoke softly as he kept his gaze locked on his monstrous opponent before him. His eyes narrow slightly in order to focus on his opponent and perhaps to find any possible weak points on the being._

_Even with his best attempts at finding a weak point, not a single one could be found on the herculean beast, much to Matt's frustration. But he never bothered to show his frustration to the beast, lest the monster would use it to his advantage. Then again, the beast was a monstrous version of himself, and if he assumed correctly, the beast himself most likely has the same strengths and weakness like him._

_Except for his huge size, however…_

_But even if that were the case, that ain't gonna stop Matt from trying to attack! The fox himself suddenly starts dashing towards the monster with his blade pointed towards the beast. He suddenly leaps in the air and pulls his blade back, preparing to strike the savage monster down with a single swing of the blade._

_But a powerful sweep with the monster's right arm sought and end to Matt's attack, with the force of the attack being powerful enough to knock the vulpine back roughly twenty yards away. Even with the illusion of not being a surface to crash against, Matt still smashes against the floor and skids several more yards away from the beast. His sword was still gripped tightly by his right hand-paw, yet the fox himself began struggling in his attempt to regain his stance. He was in an unimaginable amount of pain, and his body was shivering from the pain._

“ _Fuck…” Matt grunted under his breath right as he manages to get onto his knees, slowly pushing himself up by using his sword as a cane to support him. But it was an utter failure, however, because the vulpine suddenly collapses onto the ground with panting breaths. He was completely exhausted, and his body was in unbelievable pain. “I can't… get up…” the fox thought with panting breaths, his eyes slowly starting to close as his eyes gaze towards the approaching beast. But even with his eyes fixed upon the monster, his vision began to blur and the corners of his eyes started to become engulfed in darkness. “I'm sorry, Tomoe… I'm sorry… Jenny…” the tod uttered in a soft breath as the darkness soon began to cloud his vision, all while he notices the savage animal raise his right set of claws upward in preparation for the next kill._

_But then something unexpected happened! The savage monster growls in agonizing pain right as it was suddenly being severed into dozens of chunky pieces by another blade. Matt was about to lose consciousness until he felt a large amount of blood splatter onto the vulpine's body unexpectedly. While nearly unconscious, he still managed to keep awake and slowly tilts his head up towards the front._

_That was when he saw another pair of fox feet-paws stopping directly in front of him, the fox trailing his gaze up towards the black, tattered pants the other vulpine wore. Matt slowly places his hand-paws onto the ground and attempted to regain his stance, all while continuing to trail his gaze up along the other fox's torso. If he weren't on the verge of losing consciousness, he sure as hell wasn't anymore after what he saw. His eyes widen the instant he saw the partially skeletal arms along with ripped portions of flesh caused by numerous bite marks on his body, particularly on how grotesque his neck looked. Hell, parts of his arms and torso had exposed, rotting flesh to the point he literally looked like something that came out of a zombie flick._

_But the most disturbing feature on the grotesque fox were his eyes, with the sclera being purely black instead of the usual white color. His eye color was the exact same color as Matt's own jade green pair, yet they glowed brightly enough for many to become horrified by just looking at them. But in this case, those glowing eyes weren't looking at him in a grimly manner, but that of a serious, yet parental concern. The longer Matt looked at his eyes, the more familiar they became. And then the younger fox's eyes widen with a shocking revelation._

“ _Dad…?” Matt asked softly, right as the ghastly fox kneels in front of the younger tod and gently helps him up by wrapping his right arm around Matt's waist and lifting him up onto his feet-paws. The younger fox gazes directly towards the other fox's eyes right as the ghastly figure furrows his brows with a serious expression on his face._

“ _Matt… you can't die just yet”, the ghost of Matt's father, John Victor Wilde, spoke with a slight gruff in his voice, his eyes slightly narrowing towards his son as he continued. “You have to save Tomoe and Jenny from the Tatsumi's grasp”._

“ _But how?” Matt asked right as he turns his head towards the left, gazing directly in the dark, black and blue plane they occupied. “I'm practically stuck here with no way out”, the fox continued right before turning his gaze back towards the ghost of his father, his eyes narrowing slightly and his brows furrowing almost angrily. “More importantly, what the hell happened to you? Where the hell have you been all these-”_

“ _There's no time to explain!” Victor interrupted with a growl while simultaneously grabbing a hold of the neckline of his shirt and pulling his own son towards him. “I've already slain the Night Howler influence from within your mind. But you must wake up and-”_

“ _Don't give me any of that bullshit!” Matt quickly interrupted with a growl prior to grabbing his father's arm and yanking it off of his shirt. “What the hell happened to you? Where the fuck have you been after all of these years?!” the fox yelled with an angry look in his eyes, slowly watering with every question he asked. “Why the hell did you leave our family all of those years-” he was about to finish his question, yet was immediately interrupted when his father suddenly punched him right on his left cheek, causing the tod to stumble backwards a few steps and grab a hold of his left cheek._

“ _God dammit, Matt! We don't have time for this discord!” Victor growled with a snarl, his canines glistening in a mixture of both white and black in response to the decay caused by his death. “I don't get why you're so god damn insistent on asking instead of trying to wake up! Why are you even involved with the Neo-Imperialist movement?” the ghastly figure continued to ask. “More importantly, why the hell are you in the Kawasabus region in Ohio in the first place?! Why the hell aren't you in Zootopia with your Mother-”_

“ _I'VE LOST CONTACT WITH HER AFTER KAREN WAS MURDERED!!!” as soon as Matt shouted those words, the ghastly fox suddenly recoiled with shock on his face._

“ _What…?” Victor asked softly, his brows no longer furrowed and now pointed upward with a combination of shock, regret, and remorse._

“ _I lost contact with Mom after I was taken to the Tri-Burrows correctional Camp Site after I got in trouble at school over eight years ago. After Karen was murdered alongside nearly two hundred others, I tried to contact Mom and the others, but I wasn't able to because her phone was died. At the time, I didn't know what to do and I had no way of charging the phone since the power had been severed from both the facility and the vehicles alike”, Matt explained, quickly clenching his fists and closing his eyes tightly, but even with his eyes shut tight, it didn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. “After the massacre, I buried the bodies of the dead, both victim and murderer alike before Hiko Seijuro took me in under his wing for a few years”, the fox continued to explain, even as his shoulders began to quiver. “I tried to save Karen even at the cost of my own life, but she and two others sacrificed theirs in order to save mine…” he added right before a soft sob escaped his mouth. “It still haunts me to this day… wondering what I could've done to prevent this tragedy from happening”, the fox continued to speak, even as the ghost of his father continued to gaze at him with shock and pity._

“ _Matt…” Victor said softly with a worried tone, yet soon closes his eyes and lets a soft sigh leaves his mouth. He may not be able to provide the proper comfort a father would for his son… but in that instant, he knew what he had to do. “Alright, kiddo, there's not much I can do to comfort your pain. But there is something I can do for you”, the instant that left Victor's mouth, Matt's ears perk upward and causes the vulpine to tilt his head up towards the ghost of his father._

“ _What do you mean?” Matt asked right before he uses his right forearm to dry the tears off of his face. Right after wiping the tears on his face did he notice his father raise his left hand-paw up and began walking towards his son._

“ _The least I can do for you, is show you the truth through my own eyes, both during the days amongst the living, and up to my days as a spirit”, as those words left Victor's mouth, he turns towards the front of the plane and raises his left hand-paw, with Matt turning towards the same direction his father had. The darkness surrounding the front of the plane began to dissipate to the size of a large movie theater screen and began to play out some sort of vision._

_Through the eyes of his John Victor Wilde…_

* * *

 

_The first event took place on January 5 th, 2001, where rain was pouring heavily outside within the Savanna Central District in Zootopia. But the strange thing about this was the fact the event was being portrayed in black and white, almost like a first person noir crime thriller. Odd, black and white? What was this, a silent film or something? Those questions coursed Matt's mind as he watched various pass by with every second passing. The sound of footsteps also accompanied the silence of the memory, along with the repetitive tapping of rain drops dropping onto the ground. But he wasn't in control of his own body at all. It were as if he were being controlled like a player controlling a character in a video game._

“Wait a minute… am I watching the events unfold through your eyes? _” The voice of Matt spoke as he continued to watch the events unfold before his very eyes. Or his father's eyes in this particular case._

“Yes _”, the voice of Victor replied affirmatively, all while the events continue to play out in thorough detail._

_Before long, the fox, now identified as John Victor Wilde himself, suddenly marches into an alley almost as if he were angry about the environment itself. But was he mad about the city itself, or was it for another reason Matt couldn't distinguish? Yet as he continued to watch, something began popping into his mind._

“Wait a second _”, Matt began. “_ This was on the same night you left us after you and Mom had an argument, didn't you? _”_

“That's right _” Victor confirmed, much to the younger vulpine's surprise. “_ Pay attention, son. You're gonna wanna see this _”, he said to the other fox all while the two continue to watch the events of that fateful night play out._

_Then all of the sudden, something unexpected happened! A huge, polar bear sized black 2001 Ford FT 350 van suddenly pulls up at the other end of the alleyway with several large mammals, both predator and prey, stepping out of the vehicle and rushing towards him. Victor draws his katana out of its sheath and places the blade in front of him, right before he starts darting towards the mammals rushing towards him. He slays the first few with his blade by severing them into many pieces, yet one of the remaining survivors, particularly a strongly built polar bear, slams his fist against the fox's left side and causes the vulpine to crash violently against the wall. It was more than enough to subdue him and cause the vulpine to drift off into a state of unconsciousness._

* * *

 

_But the darkness did not linger for much longer, for another scene began to reveal itself to Matt through the eyes of his father. Yet even as he was about to discover another truth behind his father's whereabouts. But one thing he didn't expect was the scene to take place within the old Ishin-Mirkwood Camp in Kawasabus._

“ _Hold on_ a second... _” Matt began with a surprised tone in his voice. “_ Is that… the Kawasabus Ishin-Mirkwood camp…? _”_

“Yes, my son _”, Victor answered with a nod. right before going silent and continuing to watch the entire scene play out before his very eyes._

_The next scene being depicted started with Thrandeer Katzuma currently speaking with Matt's father inside of the clan leader's quarters, both mammals sitting across from one another with the sofas provided. However, he wasn't able to decipher the words they were saying because of the visions being inaudible. But if only Matt were able to read lip, he would be able to make out what they were conversing about. Yet the younger vulpine knew better than to assume it was idle chatter, since he himself had joined the clan nearly four years ago (despite not being involved in the assassination industry until about half a year later)._

* * *

 

_But the scenery of the Ishin-Mirkwood office didn't last much longer, for it fades into darkness for a moment before depicting a bloody battle somewhere within the woods between Kawasabus and New Otsu. From what Matt could see, there were roughly three hundred mammals clashing against one another with their swords. While many bore the clothes of the Neo-Shogunate armies, many others bore the clothing of the Neo-Imperialist armies, which included the Ishin-Mirkwood, Ishin-Lothlorien, and other extremist groups aligned to them. Several dozen bodies lie on the ground even as the fight continued to progress._

“This was the Battle of the Ishin-Lothlorien forest, a battle I got involved in shortly after I fled my captors and joined the Ishin-Mirkwood clan in two thousand four _”, Victor began. “_ The very same battle that started the alliance between the Ishin-Mirkwood and Ishin-Lothlorien clans. The very same battle that caused many Neo-Imperialists and extremists against the Neo-Shogunate regime to fight back _”, the ghastly fox explained, even with his son watching the battle unfold before his very eyes, seeing the battle from the eyes of his father._

_Matt had to admit he was impressed with the way his father handled a sword. Sure, he had been good with many things, especially when it came to business and whatnot. He even knew his father owned a suit tailor shop within the Savanna Central district in Zootopia, Wilde and Sons' Suit-Topia. But he never knew about his father being a competent swordsmammal, nor for the fact he was affiliated with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan itself. Speaking of which…._

“Wait, if you were affiliated with the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, how come I wasn't able to find you? _” Matt asked, turning towards his father with a cocked brow, only to be met with a sigh shortly after he asked._

“I was assigned at the New Takagi and New Otsu factions of the clan at the time _”, Victor answered, right before tilting his head back and looking away from his son, with another soft sigh leaving his mouth. “_ I wasn't made aware you were apart of the clan until around May of two thousand nine. But by the time I began searching for you _”, the ghastly fox continued, yet paused for a brief enough moment to tilt his head upward and turn towards his son. “_ John Bellwether's men tracked me down and captured me for the second time _”, and with that explanation, the two foxes turn towards the vision and watches the scene become engulfed into darkness._

* * *

 

_Yet again, shortly after the scene was engulfed in darkness did another one come to play. This time, it took place within the designated month and year Victor had just mentioned: May of two thousand nine. Matt could see the fox walking through the New Takagi woods firsthand through his father's eyes. It was dark at night, yet his nocturnal vision enabled him to make out the details with near-perfect clarity. His vision was keen, and his eyes scout the area thoroughly like a hawk scouting for its next prey._

_Then everything happened in an instant! Victor spotted his targets and suddenly draws his sword from its sheath, right before he sprints towards them and slays them almost instantly. One after another, the bodies of various mammals, predator and prey alike, drop to the ground with each swing of Victor's blade. Before long, all of his targets were slain, and his blade was completely stained with the blood of his victims._

_But that wasn't all that was depicted in this particular scenario._

_Right as the vulpine was wiping the blade clean of his victim's blood, his ears flickered at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching him from his left. He quickly wipes his blade clean and prepared to strike, only to be rendered unconscious when a large, brown furred wolf decked him on the left side of his face. Once again, everything goes black for the older vulpine, and alas, the scene comes to an end…_

* * *

 

_However, another scene unfolds before Matt's very eyes. And what he could see genuinely surprised him. He, or his father in this situation, was now inside of a padded cell much identical to the one Matt found Stu Hopps inside of. And much like how Stu was found, Victor's wrists and ankles were bound by metallic shackles attached to the padded walls within. But it seems he wasn't the only occupant inside of the cell._

_A yellow and creamy tan colored lion with a dark red mane was bound by shackles on the wall adjacent to Victor's right. In fact, he looked almost exactly like someone Matt actually knew in person, yet there was a minor difference with him. It was obvious he looked younger than Salazar Lionwhite, and the lion's eyes were slightly more blueish than Alexander's teal pair. But now that he thought about it, it suddenly clicked!_

“Is that… Alexander Lionwhite's brother?! _” Matt asked upon learning this revelation._

“Yes _”, Victor answered with a nod. “_ He and his brother were also Neo-Imperialists like myself. However, both of them were affiliated with the Ishin-Lothlorien clan _”, the ghastly vulpine explained calmly with his arms crossed, yet the two foxes continued to watch the scene play out. “_ This one took place on the day of my death barely two months after my capture. The seventeenth of July, two thousand nine _”, as he said those words, the vision began depicting the vulpine looking up towards the door across from him, seeing John Bellwether entering with some sort of gun in his right hand-paw._

_Matt couldn't exactly decipher the type of weapon he had on his hoof. Yet for some reason, he couldn't help but think it was much similar to a pellet gun of some sort. Now that he thought about it, it honestly did look like a pellet gun with a silencer attached to the muzzle. The younger tod continues to watch the scene play out, along with the sheep's mouth constantly moving even if the conversation itself was inaudible._

_However, it didn't take long before the male ewe suddenly aims his modified pellet gun towards the lion before pulling the trigger, firing a familiar, blueberry sized pellet towards its intended target. It hits Salazar's neck and sprayed its contents around the area it hit. The lion began convulsing, his body constantly twitching, and before long, broke free from its binds and lunged himself towards the bound vulpine. And the instant Salazar's teeth sunk into the vulpine's body, his vision immediately faded into darkness._

“I should've known John would've done such a thing _”, Matt claimed with a slight growl before clenching his own fists tightly. “_ At least he's gotten what he deserved _”._

“It seems so _”, Victor agreed with a nod. “_ But even if my body had died, I continued to linger on as a spirit in the shadows and keeping a close eye on the higher ranking Neo-Shogunate bastards _”, the ghostly vulpine added right before turning his gaze directly towards his son. “_ And to keep a close eye on you _”, the older tod claimed prior to moving his face towards the front. “_ to make sure nothing happened to you… _” the words that left the ghost's mouth, the younger vulpine turns towards his father with a wave of unexpected surprise. But before he could say anything, the corner of his right eye caught the darkness fading into another vision and turns towards the front._

_What Matt didn't expect to see was a vision of the Dawn Bellwether's office, who was currently in the middle of talking with the Ishin-Mirkwood examiner of executions. But the thing that surprised Matt the most was the fact it was the exact same vision he had seen on the surveillance footage on the first floor, especially with the comforting embrace the tanuki provided for the saddened ewe. Yet it was not from the camera's point of view, but again from his father's eyes. It was like his father was standing on the back left corner of the office watching the entire scene unfold._

“Wait a second… I remember watching this in the first floor surveillance room earlier today. It took place the night I've slain John Bellwether _”, Matt recalled before shifting his gaze towards his father. “_ Why are you showing me this? _” he asked, a moment prior to his father shifting his gaze at his son._

“Because there is more to this meeting than what the surveillance camera was able to capture _”, Victor claimed shortly before refocusing his gaze back towards the scene replaying before his eyes, with Matt nodding before turning back towards the scene itself._

_The scene continued to play out exactly like the camera footage depicted earlier, right up to the point where Iizuka waved dismissively towards the ewe. Both foxes continue to watch the scene play out as Iizuka steps out of the office, leaving the sheep alone within the confines of her office. Dawn turns away from the door and uses her right forearm to wipe the tears off of her face. She walks to the front of her desk and started scooting some of the files away from each other. But something unexpected started to happen, and it didn't not involve the objects being moved around on her desk._

_It was the devious, toothy grin that began to form on the woman's face. But what happened next completely caught the younger fox by surprise._

“ _All according to plan”, Dawn said softly under her breath before she began to sinisterly chuckle under her breath, her shoulders shivering in correlation with her chuckles. Matt's ears perked at hearing her voice, not having expected to hear her voice since the visions he saw had been void of any sound prior to this point._

“All according to plan…? _” Matt asked softly under his breath with his eyes slightly widened at this odd revelation, turning to his father shortly after he heard this. “_ Dad… do you know anything about this…? _” shortly after he asked, the ghastly figure closes his eyes and shook his head a couple times._

“I wish I knew, son _”, John answered honestly. “_ I did whatever I could to look into the matter. However, I wasn't able to find anything regarding the matter _”, the ghost continued, before reopening his eyes half-liddedly and furrows his brows towards the sheep being depicted on the screen. “_ But I'm certain she's up to something… something even John himself was unaware of _”, the older tod commented softly right before the scene itself began to fade into darkness._

“Something that John Bellwether was unaware of? _” Matt asked, confusion being apparent in his tone of voice, only to receive a gentle nod from his old man in response._

“Yes _”, Victor replied with a nod right before he turning towards his son. “_ However, there is one more thing I think you should see _”, he began, pausing for a short enough moment to turn towards the front once again. “_ And this occurred last night at Tomoe's house while you and that bunny of yours were sleeping _”, that particular comment caught the fox by surprise. But before he could ask, the darkness began to fade and the next scene began to play out._

* * *

 

_This particular scene took place on the night of December the Eighteenth, shortly after both Matt and Jenny had fallen asleep in each other's embrace. Sometime after the interspecies couple fell asleep, a dark gray 2009 Toyota Corolla Altis pulls up close to the driveway, yet didn't park within the driveway itself. Matt cocks a brow at the familiar vehicle right as he noticed the driver stepping out of the car slowly. But the instant he saw the tanuki's face, his eyes widen slightly at the vision he continued to watch_

“The hell? _” Matt suddenly asked with a genuinely surprised look on his face. “_ What the hell was Iizuka doing at our house last night? _” he asked again, watching the tanuki sneak towards the right side of the house quickly, yet stealthily in an attempt to avoid getting spotted by the residents living in the house. The two sets of vulpine eyes gaze intently at the tanuki as they watch him climb on the tree next to the house and then into the window leading into Tomoe's room._

_With the tanuki inside of the house, Iizuka quietly roams inside of the living room until his eyes spot the desk directly across from Tomoe's queen sized bed. A grin immediately forms on his face the instant she spotted her diary, tip-toeing towards the desk before grabbing something out of his inner hoodie pocket. But as soon as he pulled the object out of his pocket, Matt's eyes widen with a sudden revelation._

“What the fuck?! _” Matt exclaimed with surprise in his voice, his eyes wide as he watched the tanuki replace Tomoe's diary on her desk with the replica he bore in his possession. “_ He switched Tomoe's Diary with a fake! I should've known that diary was a fake!! _”the fox growled right before he quickly clenches his hand-paws into fists, his forearm muscles contracting in response to clenching his hand-paws. However, he unclenches his hand-paws and turns towards his father the instant he felt one of his hand-paws rest on his shoulder._

“He's always a sneak bastard, even to this day _”, Victor said towards his son with a calm sigh. “_ I originally drifted towards my sister's home to check up on you, but I saw Iizuka roaming the residence and needed to see what was going on _”, the ghost explained before turning towards the vision, watching the tanuki leaving the house through the window he had come from. “_ Now that you know the truth, you must save Tomoe and your bunny from the Neo-Yaminobu's grasp and kill Tatsumi _”._

“But how? _” Matt asked with a scoff, swinging his arms up in the air as the vision dissipates and fades into darkness. “_ I can barely see or hear a damn thing thanks to the Neo-Yaminobu Ninja clan _”, he added, yet a chuckle soon began to escape his father's mouth, with the ghost closing his eyes and shaking his head a couple of times._

“Geez, you can be so naive sometimes, you know that? _” Victor replied with a chuckle right before reopening his eyes and gazing directly at his son. “_ Don't worry about it. Allow me to help you regain what you've lost. My eyes and ears shall become yours, and you will regain the senses that were taken from you _”, the instant those words left his mouth, John Victor Wilde raises his right hand-paw towards Matt and gently places his hand-paw over his son's eyes, engulfing them into darkness for a moment before being submerged in a powerfully bright, white light._

* * *

 

And right as the bright, white light fades away, the fox found himself back inside of the basement level of Bellwether Enterprises. But even if he found himself in the basement level, there were a few things that surprised him. One, he was able to see out of **both** eyes with crystal clarity. Two, he was able to hear every faint sound in the basement level with just as much clarity. Lastly, from what he can tell, he felt no night howler influence on any part of his body. The spirit of John Victor Wilde had done his job, eliminated the night howler influence, and gave Matt what he had lost.

“ _My son…_ ” the voice of Victor began within Matt's mind, catching the young assassin by surprise for the slightest of moments. “ _I know I wasn't there for you after all these years, and I know you'll never forgive me for it…. But I want you to know I am truly, deeply sorry for not being there for you when you needed me the most_ ”, the ghost continued to speak, and hearing those words inside of his mind unexpectedly, yet genuinely caught Matt by surprise. “ _I want you to know that, despite my body being dead, I will continue to watch over you and protect you, no matter the cost_ ”.

“Dad…” Matt was completely unsure of what else to say after that. He was honestly at a complete loss of words. Yeah, he may have been upset with the fact his father hadn't been there for him while he was going up and needed him the most. But with the tone his father bore, he knew for certain his words were genuine. And to him, that's all that truly mattered regarding his old man.

“ _Live on, my son. And godspeed_ ”, with those final words leaving Victor's mouth, the spirit of Matt's father faded within the young assassin's mind. Matt couldn't help but give a soft, but very real smile after hearing his father's words. Now he knew the truth behind everything that happened to him, and he now knew for a fact the journal he had read at the residence earlier was a fake.

But above all, he knew what he had to do!

The fox himself started walking towards the elevator and grips the top portion of his sword's sheath, placing his thumb on the guard of the sword. He presses the 'UP' button on the control panel on the left side of the elevator entrance and waited for the elevator itself to arrive. The wait didn't take long, for less than ten seconds later, the twin doors slide to the left and right sides of the wall respectively and allow the vulpine to enter the elevator. He presses the fourth floor button on the elevator control panel inside and turns his attention towards the front, watching the elevator doors close and feeling the conveyor lift him upwards.

The wait from the basement level to the fourth floor didn't last very long for the vulpine himself, because roughly about fifteen to twenty seconds later, the elevator stops on the fourth floor and the two metallic doors slide to the left and side respectively. With the fourth floor now revealed to the vulpine, the fox walks out of the elevator and began walking along the halls in silence. He followed the signs leading to the courtyard area on the fourth floor, noticing the sign where the designated area was located about fifty meters in front of him. The tod ignored the glass walls depicting the laboratories, along with the offices on the same level.

But there was one office on the left side of the hall that suddenly caught his eye, however, and the door leading to the said office was wide open. Yet it wasn't necessarily the fact the door itself was open, but the fact an object that glistened from the reflection of the natural outdoor light. Usually, he would merely shrug it off and continue about with his assignment. But for some odd reason, the fox felt drawn towards the object resting on the desk in the office, compelled to see the contents that lay within.

With this thought in mind, the vulpine walks into the office and made his way directly towards the desk. His hand-paws grab a hold of the journal and turns it nearly a hundred eighty degrees counter-clockwise. But as soon as his eyes gaze upon the cover of the journal, they widen upon seeing the name of the journal, along with the name of its presumed owner.

“John Bellwether…” Matt thought within his mind, moving his left hand-paw from his sheathed sword to the book itself. He slowly traces his left index finger from the top right corner of the cover to the bottom left curiously, but moves his left hand-paw towards the right edge of the cover itself shortly after. “This must be his diary… but why would he leave it here out in the open?” the vulpine wondered softly. Curious as he was, the tod carefully opens the journal and began to read the contents of the journal that laid within.


	25. The Diary of John Bellwether

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, fellow readers!
> 
> Here's the next installment of Zootopia X! Hope you enjoy ^^
> 
> EDIT: As of 12/1/16, this chapter has been slightly polished to make it look cleaner, adding text, and removing unwanted text

_ **The Diary of John Bellwether** _

 

_**June 23 rd, 1987** _

_Today's the day that can be marked as the most important moment in my entire life by far. I never expected to achieve this at the age of twenty three, but nevertheless, I can finally say I am proud to announce the opening of my new pharmaceutical enterprise:_

_Bellwether Enterprises._

_Several months ago, I had to acquire a large loan from the New Otsu Bank in order to kick start my enterprise along with getting the necessary equipment needed for the company. It may take me some time to repay the loan, but I believe that, assuming the company goes well, I'll be able to pay off the loan within five years (perhaps sooner if I'm lucky enough). It also won't be easy, but I also believe in the future of my pharmaceutical enterprise._

_I can still recall the exact moment I cut the red ribbon at the front of the facility, the cheering of the large crowd, and numerous camera flashes going off with every passing second. But the most memorable of all was the appearance of Akio Yoshimobu, the governor of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate government. Shaking his hand-paw was a dream come true, to be recognized by a government official for my work. Everything felt like heaven._

_Its funny how unexpected things can happen at any given moment, regardless if you're a low class worker to the highest ranking official._

* * *

 

_**September 29 th, 1990** _

_I was approached by the Neo-Shogunate governor earlier this week and had a discussion regarding flowers and psychology. I have to admit I found this a bit odd at the time we started the discussion at first, preposterous even. But the more the discussion went on, the more it made sense. I'm fully aware there are some flowers that can cause psychological effects much similar to the effects of drugs like acid, LSD, methamphetamine, and so forth. However, I have to find it odd that a harmless looking blue flower can cause extreme, primitive aggression when consumed orally, the same one known to be used as a pesticide in farming. As interesting as it sounded, I obviously found this absurd…_

… _At least, that was until he told me about an incident that happened regarding his brother eating a Midnicampum Holicithias flower when they were teenagers in high school. He mentioned his brother having terrorized the neighborhood he lived in within Kawasabus shortly after he had consumed the flower during a dare. According to Yoshimobu, his brother had gone savage and had injured nearly three dozen mammals across the entire neighborhood. Fortunately he hadn't killed anybody and managed to recover the next day, although he had to face some unfortunate legal problems concerning medical expenses and property damages._

_To think such a harmless looking flower would be the source to cause someone to become the root of such primitive aggression, let alone the foundation for chaos if certain conditions were met…_

_Now that I call the story, perhaps I could use this as an opportunity to study the Midnicampum Holicithias flowers more closely. If everything goes according to plan, perhaps even the Neo-Shogunate could used this to their advantage, if necessary._

* * *

 

_**May 14 th, 1997** _

_Its been several years since I last wrote in the journal of mine, and since then, everything's been going hectic over the years. My research concerning the Midnicampum Holicithias plants, or 'Project: Night Howlers' as I like to call it, has hardly gone anywhere since the project's inception. I may have gathered some information regarding the plant, but I haven't the chance to make time to commit to the project._

_I've gathered numerous researchers from all over the globe earlier this week in an attempt to lighten the load. I didn't care if they were the smallest of prey to the biggest of predators, so long as they knew what they were doing, that's all that mattered. But even with me hiring some of the world's skilled researchers, it still wasn't enough to compensate for lost time._

_Speaking of lost time, there's been a lot of tensions forming between predators and prey for reasons I cannot decipher, even within the confines of the facility as well on occasion. While the atmosphere had been aggressive and appeared to be on the verge of becoming physical, the tensions fortunately remained in a verbal sense._

_At least for now…_

* * *

 

_**November 7 th, 2000** _

_I was attending a meeting with the mayor of Zootopia within the downtown district this morning, where he and I were having a discussion with obtaining land within the downtown area to help open another location for my pharmaceutical enterprise. Today would've been the day a deal would've been made between the mayor and I regarding me acquiring land to open another location. But instead of striking a deal as I originally intended, however, I was met with numerous protestors consisting mostly of predators, with the occasional prey who happened to share similar interest with the preds. I don't know how this happened or who was the one responsible for organizing this damn thing, but as of right now, I'm still slightly shaken up to the fact the protests nearly got violent._

_I made it out of City Hall shortly after the protests had started, and I've mostly been in my hotel room trying to think about how the hell it got this bad. But about a couple hours ago, I started hearing some odd rumors regarding my company. One rumor that caught my attention the most was the claim where predators were being used as subjects to my research. That claim wasn't entirely true, nor was it entirely false. Yes, predators have been used as the focus of my work, but everything was done willingly and none of the subjects had died. However, even the prey had their fair share of experimentation as well, and the results were much similar to those of the predators._

_Even as I am writing these thoughts, I can't help but still be bothered by the fact I was unable to open a facility in Zootopia. But that's honestly not too much of an issue compared to another problem. What really bugs me the most was the one who instigated the damn thing. It was that damn, conniving, business savvy fox at the front of the crowd. A co-worker of mine later told me the fox's name was John Victor Wilde, a local suit tailor from the Savanna Central area of Zootopia. I was also informed of the fox having been known to being an extremist whenever he felt the need to._

_I'm unsure of why he would even show up at City Hall in the first place. Either he and the others had been misinformed, or the fox used his conniving, savvy nature to manipulate the information and claiming predators were being used like guinea pigs in my experiments. Whatever the reason, I'm still infuriated with the fact I'm unable to acquire any land to open another location within the heart of Zootopia itself._

_God, I hate that arrogant fox…_

* * *

 

_**January 8 th, 2001** _

_My research regarding the Midnicampum Holicithias plants is coming along smoothly, albeit slowly, however. But in all honesty, I'm in no rush to finish my research. I'd much rather have a product take time to finish and work efficiently than have it finished quickly and discover numerous flaws. Then again, I've been in a really, **really** good mood ever since I've heard some interesting news from an acquaintance of mine._

_As of January the fifth, that conniving fox, Victor, had been kidnapped by some of the Neo-Shogunate government's finest spies, the Neo-Yaminobu clan. They're a group of ninjas who happen to be a new revival of the original Yaminobu ninja clan from the Tokugawa Shogunate regime. Coincidentally enough, the clan themselves happen to live in the same neighborhood I live in. So it was rather convenient to receive the news from one of the clan members in the comfort of my home._

_The Neo-Yaminobu clan isn't the only one making a comeback, however. Other clans such as the Mibu and Aizu clans are also making a comeback within the Kawasabus region. I've even heard rumors in Zootopia the Oniwaban made a comeback in the Tokyo Town district. Its kind of intriguing to learn some of the clans from the Tokugawa Shogunate are making a comeback almost a hundred forty years after the era came to an end._

_But that's beside the point! I'm just glad we were able to capture that bastard when we did. Looks like the conniving prick will finally be put in his place…_

… _and its all thanks to our finest spy, Iizuka._

* * *

 

_**March 24 th, 2004** _

_Dammit all!_

_That blasted fox somehow managed to escape the facility! I don't know how the hell he did it, but its completely infuriating to learn of his escape. Either he's more cunning than I had realized, or there may have been a spy working within our facility and hadn't realized it until now._

_I honestly don't know what to think anymore. But if I were to guess, the Neo-Imperialists heard about Victor's hatred towards the Neo-Shogunate government and sent one of their spies to break him out of captivity._

_Speaking of those Neo-Imperialists, a lot of them are starting to come out from the shadows and openly protesting against the government. Fortunately, it hasn't gotten physically violent just yet… but I can't help but feel this non-violent tranquility might not last for much longer. I feel that, if the Neo-Shogunate government doesn't take the necessary precautions to prevent the citizens from becoming violent, this entire region, perhaps the entire country, might plunge itself into chaos._

* * *

 

_**August 18 th, 2004** _

_Jesus Christ…_

_While I was continuing my research on the Midnicampum Holicithias plants earlier today, I received some tragic news regarding the deaths of some of my finest researchers. Sometime ago, a battle took place in the forest in which the Ishin-Lothlorien camp was rumored to be located. I wasn't sure on what happened at first or why they were in the suspected area. At first, I thought they had apparently partook in the battle itself, or perhaps killed in the crossfire. But barely fifteen minutes ago, I was informed of what had actually occurred._

_My researchers decided it would be in the Neo-Shogunate's best interest to ambush the Ishin-Lothlorien camp in the midst of battle, hoping they could reach the clan leader and kill him while the leader was unguarded. Unfortunately, they were slaughtered by the troops while they were drawing close to the camp, and had become several of the numerous casualties._

_But the one thing that infuriated the hell out of me was the fact John Victor Wilde himself was not only the mammal with the highest kill count (according to my sources), but was also responsible for the deaths of my researchers. Dammit all! Now I have to delay the completion of my research further now that I have to find the proper researchers to help me with its completion._

_Perhaps I can give my sister a call and offer her a position as a key researcher once she completes college in a couple of years…_

* * *

 

_**July 12 th, 2006** _

_Ever since my last entry nearly two years ago, I continued my research on the Night Howler despite the limited number of researchers working within my facility. Regardless of that, however, the results of the experiments have become rather interesting. We've concluded that, regardless if you were predator of prey, every test subject still suffers from the same savage aggression while under the influence of the Night Howler. Its almost as if they were mindless, aggressive animals._

_Barely a month ago, my younger sister, Dawn, had joined my company shortly after she had graduated from college. She almost immediately became one of my top researchers within the facility almost immediately after her inclusion to the company. I still can't help but think of the potential college graduates have these days…_

_Yet even with my Night Howler research continuing to progress in the right direction, there's still the matter of dealing with the Neo-Imperialists. Their actions are starting to become more extreme with each passing day, and the Neo-Shogunate is almost starting to have trouble with dealing with them. It's been like this ever since Victor had escaped our captivity._

_But now there's another problem…_

_A few days ago, one of our Neo-Shogunate secretaries had been slain by another mammal rumored to be an Ishin-Mirkwood assassin. But according to some of the other rumors I've heard lately, he had been killed by someone the clan had recently recruited. I went to see the secretary's corpse last night at the morgue not too far from my facility, and what I discovered sent shivers down my spine. His head had been vertically severed in half, from the top of the head all the way down to the upper part of his back. I wonder…_

_Who is this assassin…?_

* * *

 

_**May 29 th, 2007** _

_This is starting to become troublesome! There's been too many assassinations happening all across the region, mainly in Kawasabus and New Otsu. At first, I thought they were happening across the entire region by numerous assassins, but apparently that was a conceited notion. As of this morning, I was made aware of what was really going on. Many of these assassinations were being committed by a single assassin with numerous names._

_Battousai the Animal Slayer (this one being the most common), Battousai the Manslayer, Hitokiri Battousai, and the list goes on. However, there was one name in particular that stuck out the most to me._

_Wilde the Battousai._

_The instant I heard chatter amongst my fellow colleagues regarding the name, I instantly began to ask myself one particular question: 'How in the hell was John Victor Wilde able to slay barely over a hundred fifty mammals in barely over ten months?'_

_This question alone began to trouble me. There's no way that could be possible! I'll admit, albeit disdainfully, Victor's a competent swordsmammal amongst the Neo-Imperialists, but he couldn't have been the one to carry out the assassinations. Could it? If not Victor, then who's the one responsible behind the assassinations?_

_Perhaps Iizuka might be able to shed some light on the killer's identity…_

* * *

 

_**February 21 st, 2008** _

_I haven't had the time to write in the journal for quite some time now, but its about time I gave an update regarding the Night Howler research. Despite the growing chaos in the Kawasabus region of Ohio, I was able to progress my research much farther than I had anticipated, and its all thanks to Dawn. Her superior knowledge has proven to be invaluable, and now I feel I can take my research to the next level soon._

_But that isn't the only thing I wanted to give an update on. As of this year, I've decided to join the campaign for governor for the Neo-Shogunate regime this November. I've felt that, despite the government's best efforts to stop the growing chaos across the entire region, the current governor wasn't doing enough, or didn't know what the hell he was doing to begin with. They may have been able to stop the chaos in New Otsu and reduced the amount of violence in New Otsu to a certain degree, but still…_

_How will they be able to stop the Battousai…? Which leads to the next point in this entry._

_It has come to my attention the Battousai's slain more than three hundred mammals aligned the Neo-Shogunate government. But that wasn't the only thing I've became aware of regarding him. I recently discovered the Battousai wasn't in fact John Victor Wilde as I initially suspected. According to Iizuka, my finest spy, the assassin's merely a sixteen year old fox. I've asked Iizuka for the killer's name, but the tanuki declined to tell me his true name out of 'common courtesy' for his 'friend'. It didn't surprise me in the least I wouldn't be able to find out his identity, but it still frustrates the hell out of me to the fact I still can't find out the assassin's true name._

_Who in the hell is the Battousai… this murderous mammal? But more importantly._

_How could a mere child be able to commit so much murder?_

* * *

 

_**February 1 st, 2009** _

_There's a new florist I've hired earlier this morning after I had interviewed her merely two weeks ago, which coincidentally took place on the same day I had been appointed as the new governor of the Neo-Shogunate regime. I never expected her to be a vixen of pure grace, nor did I expect her fur to flow so beautifully even in the rainy weather outside. She's almost like an Iris, one who looks most lovely in the rain._

_But that's beside the point. I've recently became aware of her experience as a florist and was even known for being an excellent farmer within the New Otsu area. Perhaps she could grow the Midnicampum Holicithias plants needed to continue my research, as I am running low on the supply as we speak. So until I can get my hoofs on another source, I must rely on what I have and conserve my current supply and only use it whenever necessary._

_On a side note, perhaps after I get to know Tomoe for a little while, I could probably ask her out for dinner sometime._

* * *

 

_**April 10 th, 2009** _

_It's been a couple of months since Tomoe had been working at my company, and a couple months since our friendship had started. After a couple months of our friendship blossoming into where it is now, I finally gained the courage to ask her out on a date. I'll admit I was a nervous wreck at the time I asked her out, for it has been many years since I last took another woman out on a date. But that wasn't the only reason why I haven't been able to take someone out on a date. It was also with the fact I've been too busy with my research and searching for other researchers (thanks to the Neo-Imperialists slaying many of them over the years). But in the end, she said yes, and that's all that matters._

_Though now that my project's been mentioned, I've been asking myself if whether or not if it was even worth it at all anymore. I've been working on it for nearly nineteen years, and yet, all this chaos caused so many interruptions to the point I'm unsure if its even worth it anymore. I can't decipher the reason why I'm thinking like this. Is it because I'm seeing something I haven't before, or am I doubting myself._

_Then again, I busted my ass working on this project for so long, and I have no intention on stopping now. Not until I can create a weapon worthy of the Neo-Shogunate regime._

* * *

 

_**May 12 th, 2009** _

_Finally, at long last!_

_John Victor Wilde, that vile bastard from the Neo-Imperialist Ishin-Mirkwood clan, has finally been captured by one of our finest spies after five long years! Now I know for certain I can rest easily for the rest of my days, and I can continue my research without any further interruptions from him._

_He's currently being held in the basement level with a shock collar wrapped around his neck. Luckily for him, he's being held in the same cell as Alexander Lionwhite, a manslayer who happens to reside in the Ishin-Lothlorien clan, one of the assassins responsible for the deaths of some of my prized researchers._

_Either way, now that both manslayers, animal slayers, hitokiris, or whatever the hell they're called, have been caught and being held captive, I can continue my research without any further complications._

* * *

 

_**July 17 th, 2009** _

_I was able to test the new Night Howler pellet prototypes earlier today with my sister, Dawn. A few weeks prior to today, she told me about a friend of hers (Doug, if I'm not mistaken) being able to provide the necessary equipment needed to turn the night howlers into a liquid substance. Since he provided me the equipment I needed, I was able to make the night howlers bear a higher concentration level than the other doses I gave to the other subjects in previous tests. If my theory's correct, the effects should last a lot longer than the usual dose… perhaps to the point the night howlers won't wear off without the proper medical care._

_But in order to prove this theory, I had to test the highly concentrated night howler pellets to ensure the validity of my claim. And what better way to prove my theory than to test it on my galling adversaries, Victor and Alexander._

_I contemplated on whether or not to use the prototype onto Alexander or Victor only for the briefest of moments. But in the end, I chose a more satisfying option. I fired a highly concentrated night howler pellet onto Alexander's neck, and the results were instantaneous. Alexander's mind succumbed to the influence and immediately slain the fox in the most gruesome fashion possible. It was more savage than how Victor killed his victims, but it was a fitting end to the one who killed many of my prized researchers and fellow Neo-Shogunate spies._

_But before he had died, he said eight words that found themselves embedded to the back of my mind, and I still don't know why as of now…_

_'I will have my revenge, even in death'_

_For some reason I cannot discern, I continue to find myself troubled after hearing those words several hours after Victor had been killed. I don't know why…_

* * *

 

_**July 19 th, 2009** _

_I saw my girlfriend, Tomoe, inside one of the labs earlier this morning with her hand-paws covering her eyes. Her shoulders were quivering, and I heard sobs leaving her muzzle. It pained me to see my love in such state of sadness. I was supposed to meet my sister in the conference room, but my curiosity got the better of me and decided to check up on Tomoe, to ask her what ailed her._

_She had been informed of a recent death in the family by one of our co-workers several minutes prior to my entry in the lab. I wasn't sure why at first, but my body unexpectedly tensed at the mentioning of someone in her family having died recently. I was even hesitant to ask about who it was who died at first, but my curiosity soon got the better of me. I asked her to tell me the identity of the family member she had lost, but there was one thing I was certain of:_

_Nothing could ever prepare me for the answer I was about to receive from my love._

_The person she had, in fact, lost was John Victor Wilde, whom I found out he was the elder brother of Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde. How could I not have noticed the connection between her and Victor? How could I have been so blind?_

_I don't know which of my co-workers told her the news of John's death, nor am I certain if whether or not she discovered the cause of Victor's death. But there was one thing I had realized in that particular moment._

_I had made a terrible mistake…_

* * *

 

_**August 31 st, 2009** _

_I had never expected my life to turn for the worst, nor the relationship between me and my sister to strain. At this point, I'm beginning to think my health is starting to decline. Whether this claim is true, I cannot say._

_It all started a few days ago after I found out about Tomoe's relationship with John Victor Wilde. Since then, nightmares started to plague my mind like an airborne virus. At first, it didn't affect me nor my performance at work too badly. But as the weeks continued to progress, they became worse and started happening more frequently. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I feel like I'm starting to lose my mind or my sanity._

_I honestly don't know which of these is worse. The fact I'm starting to lose my mind, or the fact I'm starting to become suspicious of my sister. At the start, I thought she was only throwing tantrums during the arguments we've had lately. Now, however, I'm starting to get a weird feeling she's doing something behind my back. I don't know what my sister has up her hoofs, but I must be wary of her at all times…_

_Yet with all of this said, I'm starting to feel guilty for eliminating Victor by having Alexander slay him under the influence of the Night Howlers. Tomoe doesn't smile anymore, and she's always in a state of depression, no matter what I do to try and cheer her up. My heart aches every time I see my lover like this. I wish I could do something to cease her pain, even if only for a moment. But I know for a fact only one thing, at the very least, could help bring my love some closure, even if it comes with a heavy toll on my heart._

_I have to come clean._

* * *

 

_**September 2 nd, 2009** _

_I came clean to Tomoe regarding my involvement in the death of her older brother an hour ago. Even now, I'm still shaken by the events that followed after I told her the truth. It started with a prolonged silence, then the tears came streaming down her face. Her body convulsed in grief, and before I could try to approach her, Tomoe began shouting, no, screaming at me. I tried to do whatever I could to ease her pain, but to no avail. Many of my belongings were destroyed, and there was nothing, nothing I could do to stop the rage that burned within her._

_I honestly don't blame her for a second for what she did. She honestly had every right to react the way she did after I told her everything._

_Even as I am writing these thoughts, I'm still trembling with a bottle of Jack accompanying me. Never before have I seen a woman bearing an incomprehensible level of rage and act out on it to the fullest extent. As I continue to jot down my thoughts in this journal, I'm still trying to devise a way to seek atonement for causing my former love this pain. But what can I do to set things right?_

_Now that I think about it, perhaps there is one way I can atone for what I have done…_

* * *

 

_**September 24 th, 2009** _

_Ever since the day Tomoe had left me and my company that fateful night, I've decided the best way for me to atone for the crimes I've committed is to create both a vaccine and a cure for the Night Howler formula. Even if the idea was formulated on short notice, with the technology I have access to along with the amount of time I now have, I've managed to create a dozen prototypes for the antidote in the form of a pellet. The antidote bore a pink color and happened to be administered the same manner the night howlers were. But before I could call it a success at the time, I had to run a trial with the antidote earlier this morning._

_Fortunately, Alex Winters, a longtime timber wolf colleague of mine, volunteered to be a test subject for the night howler antidote. Inside one of the testing labs on the basement level, I fired a night howler pellet on Alex's neck and immediately reloaded the gun with the antidote. It was more than enough time for my colleague to become a savage beast, and definitely enough time for me to fire the antidote onto his neck. It didn't do nothing at first, but moments after I fired the pellet, he collapsed onto the floor and immediately fell into a state of unconsciousness._

_He regained consciousness roughly an hour after I administered the antidote, albeit he awoke with a migraine and bearing little memory of what had happened during his state of savagery. But regardless of seeing my friend in this state during the testing stage, I was glad about one particular fact that came to be. My night howler antidote was a success!_

_I honestly wished I could've made the vaccine for it first, but for some odd reason, I felt I needed to make the vaccine first if something were to happen to me in the future. I didn't know why at the time… still don't even as I'm writing this._

_After the success of the night howler antidote, I head back to the lab on the upper levels to tell my sister about the antidote. But right as I arrived to the same floor my sister was on at the time, I overheard a conversation she was having with Doug in her office, particularly pertaining to me for reason's I couldn't identify. I shrugged it off at first, thinking of it as a mere coincidence. But as soon as the night howlers were mentioned, however, I immediately stopped dead on my tracks and listened to the conversation she was having with her colleague._

_I wish I hadn't done that, however, because I immediately realized two things during the conversation I overheard:_

_One, I realized my sister's true intentions regarding the night howlers I had solely created for the most part. She intended to use them not for the Neo-Shogunate government, but merely for her own personal gain._

_Two, I realized I can no longer trust any of my associates, regardless of their position in my company AND in the Neo-Shogunate regime._

_Either way, I have to stop my sister from reaching her goals, even if it costs me my own life…_

* * *

 

_**September 29 th, 2009** _

_I am running on borrowed time…_

_The nightmares started getting far worse than I could've imagined. I barely eat, I hardly sleep, and I'm starting to lose my mind. If I knew these would be the consequences of killing Victor, I would've never killed him in the first place. I'm starting to doubt I'm in any shape to attend the meeting within the heart of Kawasabus._

_Now that the meetings been mentioned, its taking place at the other facility located in Kawasabus. Richard and Salazar will be accompanying me to the facility in an hour from now as my guards in case something goes wrong on the way there. As I am writing this, I'm currently formulating a plan to put an end to my sister's plans, by whatever means necessary._

_To everyone working at the facility, and this includes both Richard and Salazar, they think I'm attending the meeting to discuss the mass production of the night howler formula in the near future. But what they don't know is I actually plan on destroying the night howlers and putting an end to Dawn's plans, even if it means I must assassinate my own sister in order to achieve that goal._

_Even as I am formulating my plan, however, there's still the possibility it may backfire, whether I be arrested for treason, attempted murder, or being slain by a Neo-Imperialist hitokiri, manslayer, animal slayer, or whatever the hell mammals are calling them nowadays. And if I were to fail for whatever reason I ask the reader of this journal to please, please, do whatever you can to put an end to Dawn's plans, even if you have to end her life._

_I now know for a fact all of this is my fault. The creation of the night howlers, John Victor Wilde's murder, causing Tomoe's emotional pain, everything. And now I'm paying the price for the actions I caused and facing consequences of them as I write this. If I never created the night howlers in the first place, and If I noticed what my sister has become because of my actions sooner, much would've been different. That I know for a fact…_

_To the family of John Victor Wilde…_

_I know for a fact I can never undo the crime I have committed towards your beloved, but I want you to know I am truly sorry for causing this much pain to your family. You have every right to hate me, to kill me even, if you must. You are in no obligation to forgive me for the terrible actions I have caused upon your family. My guilt has grown to the point I can never atone for all the crimes I have committed, the worst being the murder of your beloved._

_Even with these many regrets I bear, there is one sliver of hope I can leave behind._

_To the reader of this journal, hopefully a relative of the fox I had killed. I will leave behind my journal along with the notes to both the night howler antidote and the vaccine, the latter I haven't the time to create. If you were to stumble into my office for whatever reason and find my journal, then it is most likely I had been killed or imprisoned as a traitor to the Neo-Shogunate government. To whoever finds this journal, please take it and the notes to both my vaccine and the antidote. Use them to stop my sister from using the night howlers for her own personal gain, and stop her from taking the lives of innocent mammals in the process._

_My notes can be found underneath the surface of the fake surface I installed of the top left drawer of my desk. I did this to ensure my notes don't befall into the wrong hands, lest the entire country, perhaps the entire world for that matter, plunges into total chaos. The only request I have left to ask is the same one I had asked earlier in this entry. I urge the reader of this journal to please, please stop Dawn Bellwether from acting out on her plans, even if it means you have to put an end to her life for the greater good…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the end of another chapter, and regarding this particular one, I hand wrote this chapter beforehand to make this one look a bit more polished than the other, and the only chapter to be in first person. See you in the next chapter! ^^


	26. The Tragedy that was Never Meant to Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, readers!
> 
> After a bit of a wait, here's another chapter of Zootopia X! But before you read, I have a short announcement to make regarding this fanfic.
> 
> In the near future, I plan on going back into the fanfic and making some edits to it (such as Matt's appearance and a couple of other major/minor key points regarding a few other characters in the fanfic). I will edit this chapter (along with some others) and announce when the affected chapter(s) has been edited in some way.
> 
> Lastly, I realized the type of bracers some of the samurai happened to wear in the Rurouni Kenshin anime/OVAs (and other anime similar to it) were cloth-like samurai Tekkou bracers.
> 
> Alrighty, with that said, hope you guys enjoy!

_ **The Tragedy that was Never Meant to Be** _

  


A pair of wide, jade green colored eyes continue to gaze at the open journal with unexpected surprise, unexpected shock perhaps. Matt couldn't properly comprehend what the hell he had just read, nor did he know what to make of the whole situation. His body couldn't move, his eyes remained locked at the last page of the journal, and his breathing stilled.

Just what in the hell did he read…? That particular question continued to course his mind for the past couple of minutes since he had finished reading the journal. But what caught his attention the most were two things:

One, he discovered John Bellwether was the one responsible for the death of his own father, whom Matt discovered his father was actually apart of the same clan he was.

Two, John tried to do whatever he could to atone for the wrongs he had committed, particularly towards the person he formerly dated, his aunt, Tomoe.

In honestly, however, he didn't know which of the two were more surprising. But to be honest, he didn't bother to look into the matter any further. The fox closes the journal and closes his eyes, with a soft sigh calmly leaving his mouth.

“John… I don't think I can ever forgive you for what you've done to my father…” Matt thought inside of his mind a moment before he reopened his eyes. “However, if you hadn't killed my father or if you and I had met under different circumstances, much would've been different”, he claimed inside of his head. And it honestly would've been true if John had decided to side with the Neo-Imperialists to atone for his crimes instead of going off to the meeting and trying to stop or assassinate his own sister.

But with those thoughts said, the fox shifts his attention towards John's desk, his eyes fixed upon the top left drawer as the journal had stated. His right hand-paw grabs the metallic handle of the drawer and pulls it open, and was met with a crumbled mess inside of the drawer itself. However…

a white, barely noticeable string can be seen near the front of the drawer, which blended in greatly with the crumbled bits of paper he found inside of the drawer. Matt's left hand-paw grabs the string and pulls it upward, thus pulling the fake surface upward and revealing the hidden contents underneath. Alas, two rectangular envelopes were spotted under the fake drawer surface, one labeled 'Antidote' and the other labeled 'Vaccine'.

“At least John was honest about where he put the notes to both the vaccine and the antidote”, Matt commented softly, using his right hand-paw to grab a hold of both envelopes before placing them inside of his right cargo pants pocket. He gently places the fake cover back onto the surface of the drawer and closes it all together, right before the tod grabs a hold of the journal and rolls it prior to placing the diary inside of the left pants pocket. With the notes and the journal in his possession, the fox walks out of the office and turns to the left, where he continues onward to the location of the courtyard.

And waiting at the courtyard would be the two people he needed to save, along with his final opponent: Tatsumi, leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan.

* * *

 

_**Bellwether Enterprises Parking Lot** _

All was quiet within the front parking lot, where nothing but the howling of the cold, northern winds passing through New Otsu occupying the vacant silence within. Snow continued to fall onto the ground almost quickly and even started to freeze the roads slightly, yet mostly covered the ground with thick amounts of snow. The lot, for the most part, was completely uninhabited with the exception of one particular, beat up truck, with only one rabbit occupying the vehicle.

Judy Hopps was resting within the confines of the truck with nothing but Matt's wakizashi equipped in case if she were to be attacked. Fortunately for her, that hadn't happened yet, much to her relief. But regardless of her current situation, however, boredom found its way to her and soon began thumping her right foot onto the floorboard to pass the time. Not that it did much, of course.

However, the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps caused the bunny's ears to perk up unexpectedly, causing the rabbit to turn her head towards the left and gaze at the approaching mammal. Her eyes widen with unexpected surprise, but mostly out of relief the instant she recognized the male rabbit. She was about to scoot towards the driver's side of the truck, but the male bunny beats her to it by quickly opening the door and jumping into the truck.

“Dad!” Judy exclaimed out of relief right before she wraps her arms around her father's torso, burying her face onto her father's right shoulder almost immediately. “Oh, thank god you're alive!” the doe exclaimed with pure relief, her eyes starting to water with a couple of sobs leaving her mouth.

“Don't worry about me, Jude the dude. It'll take a lot more than a nasty beating to take out this old buck”, Stu chuckled with his words, despite his current condition. Though now that he mentioned them, the doe looks up towards her father and examined Stu's facial injuries, her eyes remaining wide and losing her smile at such a sight.

“Oh god…” Judy uttered under her breath at the sight of his wounds, not expecting her father's injuries to be more serious than she anticipated. She was grateful to the fact her father was still alive, and was grateful to the fact Matt had kept his promise. Speaking of which…. “Dad, where's Matt?” that question in particular caused her father to turn towards his daughter, losing the gentle smile that was on his face.

“Matt's still in the basement level as we speak”, Stu answered almost immediately, turning his head away from his daughter before letting a soft sigh leave his mouth. “He got shot by some sort of-”

“He got shot?!” Judy suddenly yelled at the mentioning of Matt getting shot. Her hand-paws suddenly grab a hold of Stu's right arm and frantically started shaking it. “Dad! We gotta get Matt out of there! He needs immediate-”

“Judy! Listen to me!” Stu interrupted while simultaneously turning towards her and grabbing a hold of his daughter's shoulders. “He wasn't shot by a bullet. He was shot by some sort of 'Night Howler' pellet, or whatever it was”, the rabbit explained, right before closing his eyes for a moment to let out a calm sigh and reopen his eyes, which gaze directly towards his daughter's amethyst pair. “Look, Jude. I don't think something like that will take him down easily. Especially if he's using a sword technique similar to Hiko's”, he added in an attempt to reassure his daughter, especially if he knew Matt was using the Hiten Mitsurugi sword technique. However, he soon started to cock a curious brow at her. “How did you find me?”

“I followed Matt here”, Judy answered, her own hand-paws tightly clutching the wakizashi Matt had lent her prior to entering the facility in his current condition. “I tried searching for you all night ever since the attack last night. I found myself back in New Otsu thinking I would find you. But during my search, I heard an explosion go off in the woods and went to investigate it”.

“Explosion?!” Stu asked in complete bewilderment, not expecting learn about this.

“Yeah”, Judy nodded once with her response. “That's when I found Matt fighting with two of the Neo-Yaminobu Ninjas from last night”.

“Neo-Yaminobu what?” Stu asked, unsure of what to make of this since he hadn't heard of the name.

“The guys who attacked us last night at the motel”, Judy answered. “One of them got away despite Matt using the wakizashi he's letting me borrow to pin his right hand-paw onto the tree. The other guy died after he set off an explosion in an attempt to try and kill Matt…” the bunny explained, yet turns away from her father and tightens her grip on the sheath and hilt of Matt's wakizashi.

“Good lord…” Stu spoke with surprise before turning towards the front, his ears perked upward as he continued. “That answers a few questions on how he became a bloody mess”, he added, yet turns his head towards his daughter after a particular question came into his mind. “Wait a second, why were those ninjas after Matt in the first place. What's Matt doing here?”

“Matt's trying to save Jenny and his aunt, Tomoe. I'm not entirely certain on how they got here, but it has something to do with the Neo-Yaminobu”, Judy started. “As for why they were after Matt… apparently, they're after him because he's the assassin who killed over four hundred mammals in a course of three years”.

“What?!” Stu exclaimed with shock, his eyes shot wide open, and his mouth agape. “He's killed over four hundred mammals?! Is he-”

“Battousai the Animal Slayer, yes”, Judy interrupted. “Believe me, I was just as shocked when I first found out about this…” she commented regarding the subject matter, closing her eyes and letting a light sigh leave her mouth. “However…” she began, only to pause for a moment to reopen her eyes and turn her head towards her. “If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be able to find you, and he certainly kept his promise”.

“Promise?” Stu asked.

“His promise to bring you back alive”, Judy answered, right before her ears perk up at a question popping into her head. “Is Matt still in the basement level?” she asked with a concerned tone in her voice.

“I don't know to be honest”, Stu replied as he slightly shook his head. “For all I know, he might still be down there…”

“…or he might still be looking for Tomoe and Jenny”, Judy concluded, right before turning towards her father and grabbing his right arm. “Dad, we have to help Matt! He doesn't know what he's up against!”

“W-What?!” Stu replied with shock in his voice and notices his daughter turning away from him and immediately reaching for the passenger side door. However, he grabs a hold of his daughter's shoulders right before Judy could open the door, turning her to face him almost immediately. “Judy! Are you insane?! That tiger will kill us!”

“We can't just leave him here to die!” Judy shouted with her hand-paws clutching the hilt and sheath of the wakizashi. “If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to find you, land you would've most likely died by those ninjas!” the bunny continued with a loud voice, bearing her teeth towards her father as she spoke. Stu was about to respond right before the bunny herself suddenly opens the door and rushes out of the truck, only for her to sprint directly towards the two glass sliding doors much to the male bunny's dismay.

“Judy, wait! You can't go!” Stu shouted while quickly jumping out of the truck and rushing towards his daughter. But by the time she was halfway, the female rabbit had already rushed into the facility, much to the man's dislike. “Dammit…” he shook his head as he cursed under his breath for failing to stop his daughter. But even if he tried to stop her, he already knew it would be impossible to cease her actions.

After all his daughter, Judy Hopps is a trier, and always had been ever since she was a child.

But even if she was, there was no way in hell he was gonna let something happen to his daughter! Despite being reluctant on helping because of the circumstances of the situation, he rushes into the building and follows his daughter, wanting to do whatever he could to keep her safe and perhaps lend a helping hand in saving the others.

* * *

 

_**The fourth floor Courtyard** _

The howling of the snow can be heard from the fourth floor courtyard, some of the snow blowing through the area despite the occupants who inhabit the place. Tatsumi, the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu Ninjas, stood at the very heart of the courtyard itself, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Jenny and Tomoe continued to hold each other in a comforting embrace despite the cold winds blowing through the courtyard. But one thing the three had in common was the fact they were waiting for one person in particular.

Matt Wilde, or as the Neo-Shogunates have referred to him with many names, yet the most common ones being Battousai the Animal Slayer and Hitokiri Battousai.

The reasons behind them were entirely different, however. For Jenny and Tomoe, they waited for Matt to save them from Tatsumi's grasp, even if Tomoe had lead her and Jenny into this situation. Tatsumi, on the other hand, was waiting for the assassin to arrive in order to put an end to the fox. Both parties continue to wait patiently for the fox to arrive, with nothing but the howling of the wind accompanying the silence of this partially inhabited place.

However, all ears and eyes perk in the direction of the double doors the instant the sound of one of them opening was heard. And alas, the one they had waited for had arrived, with his left hand-paw clutching the sheath of his katana and his thumb holding the guard of his blade. His eyes were narrowed directly at the tiger, even with his long bangs covering them from the angle where Jenny and Tomoe were looking. Tatsumi, on the other hand, can see the fire in the assassin's eyes, and noticing how the assassin stood. It was almost as if the injuries he's sustained were never there. But that wasn't gonna stop the ninja from executing his plans whatsoever. Not by a long shot!

“There you are! I'm glad to see you've managed to save a little energy for me, Battousai”, Tatsumi began calmly, albeit with a hint of a growl in his voice. “I'm going to personally make you pay for every crime you've committed against the Neo-Shogunate. It is the only way I can atone for not being able to protect my envoys from you in the first place”, the tiger continued, only to receive a scoff from the vulpine himself.

“Heh, last I checked, Tatsumi, I don't see how that's my problem”, Matt replied with a slight growl, yet there was a hint of a chuckle in his voice. “You should've thought about that before you've sent your comrades after my ass. But more importantly”, the vulpine paused for a moment, right before he narrowed his eyes slightly with his brows strongly furrowed. You've should've thought about that before you kidnapped my brother and tried to kill him”, the fox added, recalling the events that had transpired in Zootopia roughly a month prior.

“We needed every available resource and liability to destroy you, regardless of the extremity of the weapons we use to achieve those goals”, Tatsumi explained, his hand-paws clenching into a fist and glaring at the vulpine with his piercing eyes.

“Even if it meant getting the Hopps family involved in this whole mess because of my actions?” Matt asked angrily with his brows furrowed, albeit with his voice strangely calm and collected. “It's one thing to keep personal matters between us. But the fact that you've kidnapped and nearly killed the Hopps patriarch is an entirely different story!” he exclaimed with his anger rising to the point he could barely keep his anger, the urge to kill him right here and now, under control. “Honestly, I don't know what you're trying to concoct here, but this shit ends now!”

“I agree”, Tatsumi replied with all honesty in his voice. “After I kill you with my own claws, your corpse will be displayed on the streets as a final warning, and this poor rebellion will die!”, the tiger declared with a growl in his voice, snarling at the fox and baring his sharp, white fangs towards the smaller predator. “The power of the Neo-Shogunate is **absolute**! Now die knowing you had lived a meaningless life!” with those words, the tiger leaned forward and prepared to sprint towards the fox. However, he stopped right as he heard another scoff leaving the fox's mouth. Matt himself steps into his battojutsu stance, pulling his left foot back and reaching for the hilt of his sword with his right hand-paw.

“We'll see about that, buddy”, Matt replied, his glowing, jade green eyes giving the tiger a piercing glare. “And even if I lose my life in this battle”, now there was something disturbingly odd about the way Matt's voice was heard with those particular words, with Jenny, Tomoe, even Tatsumi giving the fox a surprised look in their eyes. Tomoe could've swore there were two voices speaking in complete synchronization, the second one being strikingly familiar. “I will have my revenge…”, although those words left the assassin's mouth, the voices that came out of them were that of both Matt… and someone both he and Tomoe had lost not so long ago. “…even in _**DEATH!**_ ” as those words left his mouth, the two synchronized voices of both Matt and the familiar voice shifted closer towards the second voice, the eyes of everyone, especially Tomoe's, widen with an unexpected level of shock.

“Victor?!” Tomoe exclaimed, not expecting to hear her dead brother's voice through Matt's own mouth, the male vulpine turning towards her following a gentle smirk forming on his muzzle. However, he loses the smirk and turns towards the ninja, who was no longer staring at him with wide eyes, but with a narrow pair and furrowed brows.

“So it seems the spirit of John Victor Wilde had lingered on and managed to settle in the assassin's body”, Tatsumi thought calmly, despite the fact his fangs were barred towards the vulpine before him. “If I am to defeat the assassin, I must dread carefully”, with his train of though finished, the fox standing nearly twenty meters away tightens his grip on the sword and narrows his eyes at the tiger himself.

“Your move”, Matt said with a growl, using his own voice instead of the voice that belonged to his own father. Tatsumi's eyes widen only the slightest from the change in voice, but that didn't stop him from seizing the opportunity to make the first attack.

Tatsumi immediately sprints towards the fox's direction with haste, right as the Battousai tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword. The tiger attempts to throw a punch whilst hastily sprinting at the fox to maximize the power behind it. But the assassin, however, quickly unsheathes his sword and swung it directly at the tiger. Although the tiger was fast enough to evade what would've been an instant death, it wasn't enough for the assassin to strike the tiger's chest with the diagonal slash attack.

Blood quickly immediately started to splurt out of the injury, yet the wound wasn't deep enough for it to be considered an overly severe injury. No, the tiger merely sprints towards the fox despite the wound he had received. Tatsumi pulls his right arm back and attempted to throw a punch towards the fox. But the attack would not make any contact whatsoever, because almost instantly, the fox quickly pulls the sheath from his belt and lips the sheath upward, instantly jabbing the bottom end of it up against the right side of Tatsumi's jaw.

The tiger was knocked back quite a bit from the attack, not to mention roughly four of his teeth were knocked out in the process, with blood pouring out of his muzzle immediately after being struck by the attack. He growled only for the briefest of moments, but the ninja recuperates and dashes towards the vulpine once again. Matt's glowing, jade green eyes remain locked with the larger, approaching predator, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword and its sheath. A loud, battle-ridden growl left the tiger's mouth and attempts to hurl another punch at the fox. But instead of connecting with the fox, the vulpine swiftly blocks it with the sheath of his sword and attempts to strike his opponent with his own blade.

Unfortunately for him, the attack wouldn't connect with its intended target. Tatsumi raises his left arm upward and blocks the sharp edge of his blade with his hard bracers. That was the instant the tiger sought the opportunity to push the blade out of the way and strike the right side of his face with his left clenched fist. Matt grunts in pain for a moment right as he was literally sent flying towards the wall, right towards where the double doors were located. The fox quickly recovers from the attack and plants his feet on the wall where he would've found himself crashing against, pushing himself towards the tiger right after he recovered.

As the fight between the two men continued on, both Jenny and Tomoe watch the ongoing battle between Neo-Shogun and Neo-Imperialist with eyes filled with surprise. Yeah, both knew they were competent in battle, but neither one of them expected Matt to be much stronger than they'd expected. It was almost hard to believe, even with the fact Matt had drew first blood against his opponent. However, in one short instance, their eyes managed to capture a blue colored speck on the left side of his neck, something they hadn't noticed until now. But when they noticed it, a gasp escaped Jenny's mouth upon realizing what it was.

“Matt's been shot with a night howler!” Jenny exclaimed, her mind forming numerous questions even while she turned towards the vixen next to her. “How the hell is he not-”

“Victor…”, Tomoe softly interrupted, yet Jenny's ears perked at this and looks directly at the vixen with curiosity and confusion.

“Victor…?” Jenny began and was about to ask who it was. But then it immediately clicked inside of her mind. She realized Tomoe was referring to her older brother, the same fox she had lost several months ago, who's voice she had heard those eight words leave Matt's mouth, completely oblivious to the fact those same words played a more significant role than they realized. “Wait a second, you're referring to your brother, aren't you?”

“Yes”, Tomoe replied with a gentle nod. “Victor's spirit must've lingered on and managed to rid the night howler influence from his body”, the vixen added, yet the bunny gave her a confused look at first before nodding with understanding on the matter. but the bunny could've sworn she saw the vixen faintly smiling as she watched the ongoing battle. “Even in the afterlife, he's still watching over his son”, with that thought coursing her mind, the vixen continues to watch the ongoing battle with the bunny next to her, her eyes narrowing only slightly, yet filled with determination.

* * *

 

Although Tomoe and Jenny were physically at the sight watching the ongoing battle, they weren't the only ones watching the fight play out. Enishi Yukishiro Wilde and Dawn Bellwether are currently residing on the fifth floor surveillance room watching the entire fight carry out via the camera system. Their eyes watch the battle intently. Their hopes were for the Neo-Yaminobu ninja clan leader to murder the Battousai swiftly, but with how the battle was being carried out, it seemed the assassin had the upper hand. It was honestly infuriating, even to the point where a growl suddenly left the ewe's mouth and slammed her clenched hoofs onto the table in front of the monitor.

“Dammit!” Dawn exclaimed with seething teeth. “I don't understand how this is possible! How the hell is he able to resist the night howler's influence?!” she asked angrily, even as her enraged green eyes continue to gaze at the monitor, watching both Tatsumi and Matt Wilde continue their battle. But before she can continue with her rant, a soft sigh left the fox's mouth and catches her attention, the ewe turning directly to Enishi shortly after he had exhaled his breath.

“As I've said before, you should know better than to assume the Night Howler serum would have any effect on an assassin of this caliber”, Enishi claimed with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed upon the widescreen monitor and continuing to watch the ongoing battle. “Not even the strongest dose of the night howlers would ever be able to break an assassin, so long their wits remain as sharp as their sword”, the fox concluded with his claim, keeping his eyes focused on the ongoing battle depicted on screen.

Or that would've been the case if he didn't catch movement on the top right monitor, his eyes capturing two rabbits entering the elevator on the first floor, recognizing one of them as Stu Hopps, the same rabbit the Neo-Yaminobu captured last night. The female rabbit who accompanied him, nobody knew. However, something about the bunny suspected she was knew the male rabbit in some way. But whatever the relationship, neither Dawn nor Enishi knew.

“Isn't that the same bunny the Neo-Yaminobu captured last night?”, Dawn asked calmly, cocking a curious brow at the top right monitor.

“Yes”, Enishi replied with a nod. “I already had a feeling Matt would do something like this before he even arrived. But to think he'd bring along that bunny with him…” he continued, his brows slightly furrowing a bit more as the vulpine continued to watch the top right monitor.

Although his facial expression bore a calmly serious appearance, what he was feeling on the inside was an entirely different story. Yeah, he wasn't surprised his own nephew had managed to free the bunny from his imprisonment, but it was still infuriating to say the least. But unlike the ewe sitting next to him, he didn't dare express his anger,

Besides, one of them had to be the more calm and collected one, right?

“So what do you think their relationship is to one another?” Dawn asked with a much calmer tone than the infuriated one she had a few moments before. That question in particular snapped the fox out of his trance and slightly turns his head towards the ewe's direction, shifting his gaze from the monitor to the sheep herself.

“You mean Matt and the eastern cottontail?” Enishi asked.

“No”, Dawn answered. “I mean the relationship between the female rabbit accompanying the bunny we've captured. What do you think their relationship is with one another?” after hearing the sheep clarify what she meant behind her question, the fox gave an understanding grunt in return and turns his attention back towards the monitor depicting the ongoing battle.

“I'm not entirely certain”, Enishi replied calmly, but with an honest tone nonetheless. “But if I were to guess, I would say she's a relative of some sort. Whether she's his niece, daughter, or cousin, I can't say”, he finished, all while the ewe nodded once at him before turning towards the ongoing battle being displayed on the middle monitor.

If they had checked the monitor depicting the fourth floor level, they would've noticed the two bunnies having entered the fourth floor and making their way towards the twin doors, completely oblivious to the ongoing battle taking place outside.

* * *

 

_**The fourth Floor Courtyard** _

Fists and a steel blade were continuously being swung inside the fourth floor courtyard, and the tension in the air continued to grow anxiously thicker. All eyes were fixed upon the ongoing battle between the Neo-Yaminobu clan leader and Battousai the Animal Slayer, with the mouths of Tomoe and Jenny slightly agape from how intense the fight had progressed. Hell, they could've sworn they literally felt the force of the shock waves coming from the attack.

Regardless of the shocked state they were in, Jenny and Tomoe's ears suddenly perk at the sound of the twin doors opening from the entrance many meters away from their position. Their attention quickly shifts from the ongoing battle towards the doors. Their eyes instantly widen the moment they saw two familiar faces arriving on the scene.

Judy Hopps and her father, Stu, had arrived to the fourth floor and immediately set their eyes upon the ongoing battle between the Battousai and the Neo-Yaminobu ninja clan leader. Fists were swung with sheer force against the fox, much like his blade swung against the tiger himself. Both men were on equal ground, one large and built with strong amount of muscle, and the other, while also built with a good amount of muscle, was smaller in size, yet made it up with the god-like speed of his Hiten Mitsurugi sword technique. Not even Matt's injuries had hindered his ability to fight in any manner. Both of them couldn't keep their eyes off of the fight, let alone the fox himself.

“Good god! How the hell's Matt holding himself against that tiger?!” Stu suddenly exclaimed at the sight of the ongoing battle, shocked at the intensity of the blows the two warriors were delivering against one another. Like Tomoe and Jenny, both he and Judy could literally feel the shock waves their attacks were giving off, whether fist collided with steel or vice versa. “Look at that, Jude! How the hell is he-”

“Dad! We don't have time to discuss that! We need to get them out of here, starting with Jenny and Tomoe!” Judy interrupted while simultaneously grabbing her father's left arm with her right hand-paw and causing the old buck to lose his train of thought. He was about to respond, but being dragged towards Tomoe and Jenny immediately ceased the words from leaving his mouth.

In all honestly, he was surprised by how strong his daughter is during times of distress, or even if she has any goals set in her sights. Even if he wanted to say something regarding the fight, there was one thing his daughter said that was absolutely right! They needed to get Jenny and Tomoe out of there, starting by using the fight between Matt and Tatsumi to their advantage. The two rabbits make it to their intended targets and kneel next to them.

“Jenny, Tomoe! Are you both alright?” Stu asked, although shortly after he did, the buck discovered the bruise that accompanied the left side of her face. He winced slightly at the sight, yet the vixen gave a gentle nod towards the buck.

“Yeah, we're alright”, Tomoe answered with a nod, yet she soon starts looking at the two Hopps bunnies with a cock brow. “But how did you two get here? What are you doing here?”

“Long story”, Stu and Judy replied simultaneously, yet the tones of their voices were serious, and their minds were focused on one thing.

“Look, we don't have time to discuss that right now. We need to get you out of here, and now!” Judy exclaimed with a serious, perhaps authoritative tone of voice.

We can't!” Jenny replied with a serious, yet urgent tone in her voice. “We can't leave Matt here to die! We have to get-”

“Jenny, listen to me!” Judy interrupted and simultaneously grabs a hold of her friend's shoulders. “Matt's able to handle himself just fine. I saw him fight two ninjas with my own eyes”, that caught the English-born bunny by surprise. Yeah, she already figured he had already slain the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas on the way here, but she didn't expect Judy to be a witness to them, or one of the battles at the very least. “Dad and I will come back for him once we get you two out of here”.

“But-”

“Jenny!” Judy quickly interrupted, silencing whatever words the English bunny wanted, needed to say, and gazed towards her friend with her sapphire blue eyes. “Look, I know you're concerned about your lover, I really do. However, you and I both know Matt's the Battousai, and he definitely would've wanted you and Tomoe to get out of here while he fought”, the gray furred doe paused shortly after and turns towards the direction of the two fighters, a slight hint of a gentle, determined smile forming on her face. “To be honest, even with the injuries Matt sustained, I highly doubt anything will be able to kill him easily”, she added, drawing her gaze away from the battle and towards Jenny, who was now staring at her in awe. “Besides, I put my complete trust in Matt”, those last words, even in the midst of the ongoing battle, had somehow managed to provide a reassuring sense of comfort within Jenny herself. That was when the other female doe turns towards Matt and smiles gently towards the fox. Her fox.

But right as Jenny and Tomoe were about to follow Judy and Stu out of the facility, Tatsumi manages to block Matt's aerial sweep and turns towards the group, his eyes widening at the sight of the buck whom he and his fellow ninjas had captured last night. The tiger let out a frustrated growl and narrows his gaze at the four mammals, who were now starting to flee from the courtyard.

“Damn! I've should've known the Battousai would've had a hand in freeing the buck from his imprisonment”, Tatsumi thought angrily at the sight of the group continuing to draw closer to the twin doors. But a second later, an idea suddenly formulates inside of his own head, and the tiger himself started to grin only slightly. “But no matter. I only need to devise one distraction, and I'll be able to slay his companions in an instant”.

It didn't take him longer the opportune moment to knock at his door. He shifts his gaze back towards the assassin and sprints at this direction, a loud battle driven growl leaving his mouth and pulling his right fist back as if he were to attack. The Battousai narrows his eyes at the ninja and raises his blade, preparing to strike when the opportunity struck.

Unfortunately for the fox, the opportune moment never came. Right as the tiger got close, he 'disappears' right before the fox's eyes and caught the vulpine off guard. His eyes widen slightly from this, but his ears flicker at the sound of rapid footsteps quickly darting away from him. He turns towards the source of the noise and his eyes shoot wide with shock. He immediately realized what Tatsumi had planned all along.

He wasn't trying to go after him with his attack, but to create a diversion in order to get to Jenny and the others. Tatsumi intending to kill his companions, but he wasn't going to let that happen. Not on his watch!

His eyes narrow and his jade green eyes glow with a fire burning with rage, to the point they shift into a fiery yellow color. Matt sheathes his sword before quickly 'disappearing' and immediately made his way towards the tiger with god-like speed. Tatsumi immediately got in front of the four smaller mammals and raises his right fist in preparation to strike them down in one powerful punch. He throws his right fist directly towards Jenny right as she let out a horrified scream and raises her arms in front of her. The English born doe's eyes close and turns her head away from the tiger, not wanting to watch the end of her life before her very eyes.

But the attack would never come through, because right as Tatsumi's fist drew close towards the bunny, the fox had arrived just in time to grab a hold of his fist with his own right hand-paw effortlessly, much to Tatsumi's surprise. The muscles on his right arm bulged slightly from holding his arm back, and veins were noticeably coursing his bicep and his forearms. Growls were constantly leaving his mouth as Matt's 'animal slayer' eyes glared directly at the tiger's face.

“Your fight's with me”, Matt growled with a gruff voice, the eyes of Judy, Tomoe, Stu gazed directly at the strong vulpine. Jenny lowers her arm and turns towards her lover, her eyes widening with surprise upon seeing the fox managing to hold off the tigers attack effortlessly.

Angered by the fact the assassin was able to grab his right fist in the midst of an attack, the tiger became infuriated and immediately curls his left hand-paw into a fist before pulling it back. Tatsumi throws his fist towards the right side of the fox's face. The attack would not come to pass, however, because immediately after the tiger attempted to strike him, the vulpine grabs his sword by the sheath and rotates it upward. That was the instant he jabs the bottom of the sheath into the tiger's right eye socket and knocks him backwards, pulling the now bloodstained sheathed blade out and turns towards the others.

“What are you waiting for! Get out of here while you still have the chance!” Matt urged the four mammals in an attempt to get them out of there. But before either one could make a move, Tatsumi makes an aerial recovery and darts at the fox, grabbing him by his shirt and successfully throwing the mammal in the opposite direction.

But the tiger wasn't through with his attack. He suddenly 'teleports' from where he stood and immediately darts towards the fox, successfully managing to strike his stomach with a fierce knee kick. A loud yelp of pain pain escaped the fox's mouth, along with a good portion of blood. Matt attempted to pull his sword out of its sheath, but the tiger starts striking the fox with both clenched hand-paws rapidly across his muscular torso.

“MATT!!” Jenny, Judy, and Stu shouted after witnessing the brutal assault Matt was now currently dealing with, the fox's pained cries causing an immense pain within Jenny's own heart. The English doe covers her mouth and shook her head a few times, with tears starting to form in her eyes.

Tomoe, on the other hand, couldn't utter a single word, yet her eyes were wide and her mouth slightly agape. She felt a similar pain Jenny had felt, yet was more motherly than that of a lover's own. But she couldn't allow her own nephew to lose his life, she had to help Matt in some way.

But how…?

The repetitive punches soon came to an end with a fierce right uppercut, which struck Matt under his jaw and knocked the vulpine a good fifteen feet in the air. Matt quickly spat another chunk of blood from his mouth, even as some of it began dripping down his mouth. He was somehow lucky that none of his teeth were knocked out, let alone cracked from the force of Tatsumi's attack! The vulpine, however, despite the amount of intense pain he was in, manages to recover by landing onto his feet-paws. The fox began panting in pain, and even coughed a small portion of blood in the process.

The tiger sought the opportunity to strike his opponent again after seeing him gasping in pain, but failed to notice the fox grabbing the hilt of his own blade. He got close and prepared to strike the assassin, but immediately stopped himself when he noticed the Battousai swiftly drawing his blade for a diagonal sweep. Fortunately for Tatsumi, he pulls back swiftly enough to where the assassin's blade misses him by a mere inch.

Despite the fact the assassin had missed, the fox continues his attacks against the tiger, mainly performing horizontal or diagonal sweeps with his blade. None of them did any damage, however, because either Tatsumi had managed to dodge them, or blocked them with his samurai tekkou bracer covered forearms. That wasn't the only thing, however. Because of the amount of injuries he's sustained just now, Matt had lost his god-like speed and can barely keep up with Tatsumi.

Matt attempts to strike him down by jumping into the air and attempting to strike him from above. Tatsumi, however, raises his left arm up and blocks his blade with his samurai bracer. That was the instant he knee kicks the fox in the stomach and raises his arms upward, grasping his hand-paws together and striking the fox's back. The tiger jumps several yards away from the assassin after knocking him onto the ground, and at that point, the Battousai himself was already having a hard time with standing back up onto his feet-paws. He even had to use his sword once again as means of supporting himself.

With the condition the fox was currently in, Tatsumi gazed at the fox with a stern expression on his face, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows at the injured assassin. He looks over the vulpine's injured form and noticed the wounds he sustained earlier in the forest had reopened, and his yellow colored 'animal slayer' eyes returned to their jade green colored pair. But as he continued to gaze at the vulpine in his current state, he couldn't help but smirk slightly at the sight.

“How was that target determined by hand-paws and footwork? Approach and break, repeated? Never extending yourself too far?” Tatsumi asked with his eyes narrowed at the fox, his arms crossed and the smirk remaining plastered on his face. “Well it doesn't matter. You can't kill with a single blow in your current condition, but even with that being the case you still managed to wear out your opponent's energy little by little”, the tiger added in which he openly admitted some of his own strength was starting to wane, but that didn't mean he didn't have enough to eliminate the assassin. His eyes trail down towards the assassin's right hand-paw and notices the grip on the hilt of his blade starting to loosen. “Also, the combined effects of your great loss of blood, along with the cold weather conditions coming into the outside courtyard mean you've lost your bodily senses. With the loss of touch, the fourth barrier is complete”, as soon as he mentioned that in particular, the ears of the three rabbits perk upward and their eyes widen with a mixture of shock and confusion, yet the confusion had been the more dominant of the two.

“Fourth Barrier?” Jenny asked. “What did he mean by-”

“Oh no…” Tomoe suddenly uttered under her breath, yet the three rabbits heard her barely audible words and turn towards the vixen.

“What is it, Tomoe…?” Jenny asked, slowly approaching her and grabbing her right arm gently as she did. “What did he mean by the fourth barrier?” she asked again, but the vixen didn't turn her head towards her at all. Her eyes remain locked towards both the assassin and the Neo-Yaminobu clan leader himself.

“That's what they planned all along…” Tomoe began, keeping her eyes locked at the two warriors as she continued. “They were trying to eliminate Matt's senses in order to weaken him, starting with his intuition”, she explained.

“He must've lost much of his sight and hearing on the way here”, Judy claimed. “Matt's ears were bleeding when I saw the fight between him and two of the ninjas during my search”,

“And even if his father's spirit helped him regain his sense of sight and hearing, his touch has now been affected”, Tomoe responded. “With the current state he's in, I don't know how much longer he can hold himself”, she added, and as much as she wanted to believe her nephew could make it out of this mess, she was honestly unsure if she could not not. She closes her eyes and lets out a calm sigh. “Victor… please watch over Matt… not just for my sake, bur for Jenny's as well”.

Even as that thought coursed the vixen's mind, Tatsumi retains his smirk and his gaze towards the fox before him. Matt's panting breaths gradually became heavier, and his vision was starting to blur gradually as well. The attacks he received were starting to take its toll on him, and the blood loss only made the toll that much heavier. He can hardly feel a damn thing either, not even the failing grip he had on his sword. But he can't die here. Not while he had others waiting for him.

“Whether you think of it as cowardly or not, it doesn't matter”, Tatsumi began. “This is the greatest weapon of an old soldier. Even a young prodigy like yourself can easily be outwitted… that's what I came to accept after years in the battle field. Call me an old fox, if you must”, the tiger continued, with Matt's head tilting upward slightly at the last part of his remark, particularly with the meaning behind it. It was honestly offensive to say the least. “I will admit you had fought well like a valiant samurai. However, you cannot win this battle in your current state. Is death inching even closer? Or will you die an instant death? You should at the very least get to decide”.

Those two questions caused the fox's eyes to widen only slightly, yet he knew for a fact they bore a greater significance. As much as he hated to admit it, he was honestly screwed, unless he was able to pull off some sort of miracle. He didn't know what to do at this exact moment, nor did he have the energy to continue fighting. He closes his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath, exhaling through both his mouth and nose before reopening them half-liddedly, locking his eyes at the tiger with his brows furrowed.

“You're right… I can't win in my current state”, Matt admitted calmly, much to the surprise of the three rabbits. Although Tomoe wasn't surprise, her eyes still widened and a slightly audible gasp left her mouth, not expecting Matt to admit the truth himself.

“So a quick death, then”, Tatsumi guessed right as he saw the fox placing the sheath of his sword back through his belt, and doing his best to tighten his grip on the hilt of his blade with his right hand-paw. It was in that moment Matt closes his eyes and lets a calm sigh leave his mouth, even if this one would be his last.

“But even with my injuries, if I can kill Tatsumi at the same time he tries to kill me, I might be able to save the others from harm”, Matt thought inside of his mind, keeping his hold on his blade as he continued. “If I can't rely on my senses, then I'll sacrifice myself and risk everything on one last blow”, the fox continued in his mind, right as the images of his four siblings began to enter his mind. “Nick… Terrance… Melissa… Tauriel. It looks like I won't be able to see you again after all”, after he said those words in his mind, the images of his siblings disappeared and were replaced with the images of both his aunt and his beloved. “Tomoe… Jenny… live on in the new era, and be happy”, and right after that final thought coursed his mind, tilts his head back and lets a battle-driven growl leave the back of his mouth, right before he started rushing towards the ninja as fast as his weary body would allow him to.

Everyone but Tatsumi gasped in shock upon seeing the injured fox rushing towards the ninja, with Jenny starting to become devastated to the fact she knew what she was about to do. She immediately realized that, by doing this, he was gonna pay the ultimate price, and realized something needed to be done quickly if his life were to be spared.

But that wasn't the only thing she or the others saw! Their eyes shift towards the tiger and notices him grabbing something out of his left pants pocket, only to see him pulling Jenny's dagger out of his pocket and pulling the sheath off of the blade. Both hand-paws grasp the small hilt and leans his upper body forward, right before he began sprinting towards the assassin with one clear intention.

“He's gonna kill Matt!” Jenny shouted right before she turns towards Judy and quickly grabs the wakizashi from the other doe's grip, right before the bunny starts darting towards the two men in an attempt to save Matt.

But a fox sized forearm immediately blocks the bunny from progressing any further, causing Jenny to turn towards Tomoe with her brows furrowing directly towards the vixen. She was about to snap, but stopped when the vixen turns her head towards her. But that wasn't what necessarily stopped the bunny from speaking. It was the fact she was smiling with her eyes closed, and it legitimately started to confuse the hell out of her.

“Tomoe…?” jenny began, her furrowed brows arching upward in confusion, yet the vixen retained her smile and even reopened her eyes less than half-liddedly. Just what was this vixen thinking about, and why was she smiling all of the sudden?

“Thank you for everything, Jenny. I'm glad I was able to meet you”, Tomoe began, but paused for a moment and turns towards both Matt and Tatsumi. In that moment, she knew what she had to do. “Take care of Matt for me”, and before either Jenny or the other rabbits could reply, the vixen immediately started sprinting away from them, ignoring their pleas to come back.

It was a moment after Tomoe started heading towards the fight when Matt began to raise his blade upward, slowly moving his left hand-paw up towards the hilt of his sword and grabbing the bottom of the hilt. Gripping it tightly by the bottom of the handle, and partially by the buttcap, he swings the sword forward in preparation for the final blow.

The one blow that'll succeed in killing Tatsumi, failing and killing Matt in the end, or perhaps successfully killing Tatsumi while being killed by the ninja simultaneously.

One last blow to decide the outcome of the attack.

* * *

 

_However, the fox himself soon found himself in nothing but darkness, even if an unknown light source began illuminating onto Matt's_ _injured_ _body, with rose pedals_ _descending from above like snow falling onto the ground. Matt's eyes were closed, thus failing to see a pair of bunny sized hand-paws reaching over to gently cup his face from behind._

“You could've lived like this, if you hadn't picked up a sword _”, the voice of_ _Jenny began,_ _the fox's left hand-paw reaching to cup the bunny's own corresponding hand “_ You'd be happy with some land, seeds to plant, and a few fishing rods by your side _”, her voice added even as the fox himself gently lowers her hand-paws and turns towards her direction. But even when he did that did the rabbit's arms pull back into darkness_ _._

“Now that we have the time _”,_ _the voices of both Matt and Jenny simultaneously said, even as it echoes in the realm of darkness he occupied, despite the sunlight-like lighting illuminating his body and the falling rose pedals from the west. He took several steps forward in the direction where Jenny's arms had came from as if he were searching for the_ _bunny herself._

_The flow of dark brown/blonde mixed hair caught the fox's attention almost instantly, the fox slowly turning his head to the right and slowly turning towards the west. He saw the hair flow towards the north and was about to follow the direction it headed. But an unsettling, rather familiar sight caught his attention and stopped him on his tracks._

_The plane of darkness that once occupied this land had been replaced with the improvised graveyard Matt had created many years ago as a kit, shortly after the incident at the_ _Tri-Burrows Correctional Camp where he had lost someone dear to him. But being here wasn't the reason why it was unsettling. It was the fact Tomoe's lavender silk scarf was_ _tied around the front-most wooden cross in the graveyard, and it was beginning to unsettle the vulpine further than whatever this vision intended. He stared at it blankly for a moment_ _, his grip on the hilt of his sword neither loose nor firm._

“ _Jenny… Tomoe…” Matt began with a barely audible voice, his jade green eyes remaining fixed on the cross bearing Tomoe's scarf around it. “I will… I'll… protect you…”_

* * *

 

An agonizing masculine scream immediately filled the entire courtyard the instant Matt's blade began piercing Tatsumi's furred flesh from his left shoulder down to the middle of his torso. The grotesque sound of the sharp blade severing through the tiger's flesh and the repulsive sound of bones cracking alongside his attack. Tatsumi's eyes widen and his mouth agape as blood began splattering heavily out of the wound and out of his mouth.

Matt's ears flicker at the horrified gasps escape the mouths of Jenny, Judy, and Stu and was about to turn towards their direction. But his nose wiggled at a particularly familiar scent that was just as common as the smell of blood.

White plum.

His eyes reopen slowly and gaze towards the two figures in front of him. Wait a minute, two figures?! That thought instantly crossed his mind as his eyes widen with unexpected surprise, especially since the second one managed to grab the hand-paw with her left hand-paw and the right grabbing the dagger by the blade. One of them was obviously Tatsumi, who was slowly starting to collapse backwards onto the cold, concrete floor before him. Speaking of the ninja himself, a final gasp of air started leaving the tiger's mouth, and one last thought ran through his dying mind.

“ _The weakness of the heart… our most formidable enemy..._ ”

And with that last thought leaving Tatsumi's mind, the leader of the Neo-Yaminobu clan collapses dead onto the cold floor, blood leaving his body and staining the floor underneath his body. Even as he died, the fox's eyes remain wide and fixed upon his second, unintentional victim, who was collapsing backwards towards his left. His mouth opens agape and slowly turns towards the female he had unintentionally slain, not paying attention to nor caring about the fact the tip of the dagger managed to slash the left side of his cheek perpendicular to the current scar he had.

And right after the woman had collapsed onto the ground, Matt's eyes gazed directly at the mortal wound on the right side of her body. In that instant, only one word… one name left the now distressed assassin's mouth.

“ _ **TOMOE!!!**_ ”


	27. An Assassin's Remorse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's another installment of Zootopia X, which this one took quite a bit for me to work with. However, I've made some changes in the following chapters (And I recommend going back to the said chapters to see the changes in them fully):
> 
> 1: A Change in Matt's appearance
> 
> 2: This chapter was rearranged, and the relationship between Karen and Matt has changed as well.
> 
> 3: Added a bit of detail and broke down a a couple paragraphs into bigger ones.
> 
> 4: Tweaked and reformatted the chapter a bit for corrections. Thrandeer and Katagai's height changed as well to fit the Zootopia world closer.
> 
> 5: Judy's height is added and Jenny's height is changed slightly.
> 
> 6: Height change with the Ninja Matt killed.
> 
> 7: Tweaked this chapter a bit.
> 
> 8: Slight tweaking regarding Matt mentioning his past.
> 
> 12: Minor tweaking.
> 
> 13: Polished Matt's heartfelt confession a bit (and fixed Matt's relationship with Karen, since she was mentioned)
> 
> 16: Polished the chapter a bit and made appropriate changes after changing Karen's relationship with the Wilde family.
> 
> 21: Corrected the spelling of a mentioned character and slight appearance change.
> 
> 24: Made tweaks to correlate with Karen's relationship with the Wilde Family.
> 
> With this said, I hope you guys enjoy the next installment, and I'll do my best to have the next chapter out as soon as possible ^^. For those reading my fanfiction, thank you all for taking the time to read it and even supporting it as well ^^.

_ **An Assassin's Remorse** _

  


“Oh god! Oh dear god, no!” Matt exclaimed shortly after he had delivered the killing blow that slain Tatsumi, but had also, consequently, mortally wounded Tomoe in the process.

Nobody could believe what happened. Not a single person inside the courtyard can believe what the hell they just witnessed. Every occupant in the room was staring directly at the fallen vixen before their very eyes, their eyes wide ans mouths agape. Judy and Jenny had their mouths covered with their own hand-paws, with tears starting to well in the English-born doe's eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. Tomoe had been struck down by Matt's blade, even if it were unintentional.

Speaking of Matt himself, the fox was darting thoroughly across every part of the courtyard, his eyes shot wide open, and his brows arched upward in despair. Looking left and right as he did, the fox himself hoped he could find something that could treat her wounds, or at the very least, do whatever he can to slow the bleeding long enough to get her to a hospital.

Luckily for him, he managed to spot a first aid kit next to the double doors he had entered through earlier. The vulpine immediately rushes towards the first aid kit attached to the wall next to the double doors and grabs a hold of it. He tries prying off the glass door, but to no avail because of it being locked. But he was in a panicked state, and he needed to get the medical supplies immediately. He clenches his left hand-paw into a fist and breaks through the glass by punching it right through, not caring if glass had pierced his furred flesh or even got some shards sticking out on his forearm.

With the glass broken, the vulpine pulls the medical kit out of the case and immediately rushes back to where Tomoe lay bleeding on the grown, his eyes fixed upon the dying vixen. He slides onto his knees next to her right and immediately opens the first aid kit, his eyes thoroughly, but quickly examining the contents that lay within. He couldn't find anything to stitch the injury, but fortunately for him, he was able to find a thick roll of gauze wrap to at least try and wrap her torso with. Quickly as he did, the tod grabs the roll of thick gauze wrap and was about to wrap her torso with it immediately…

…Only for Tomoe's right hand-paw to gently grasp his own left, ceasing his actions and causing the fox to tilt his head towards her direction. By now, his eyes were welled with tears, and some of them began streaming down his face. He ignored the stinging sensation he felt from the tears trailing down on the freshly slashed linear wound that now crossed perpendicularly with the current one he had. Soft sobs began escaping his mouth, right as the three rabbits stared at the scene with a mixture of emotions.

“Tomoe… I don't understand… why…?” Matt asked softly, even if he had to choke back a couple of sobs as he tried to speak. “Why…?” he repeated softly with a sob leaving his mouth, closing his eyes and shaking his head a few times in denial. Why did this have to happen? What has he done?

Many questions regarding the situation came to an abrupt hold when he felt Tomoe release her grip from his left hand-paw and move her right slowly up towards his left cheek. The vixen gently grasps her nephew's left cheek gently and started to stroke it soothingly as best as she could. Matt gazes towards her with both curiosity and remorse as a response, but his curiosity grew into confusion when he saw his aunt smiling at him reassuringly, her eyes closed and her brows arched upward.

Why was she smiling? Why now of all times, he wondered…

“Its alright, Matt…” Tomoe began with a hoarse voice, a voice that was gradually becoming less audible with each passing second. He knew for a fact she was dying, but why would she even say something like this?! “Please… don't cry…” and as those last words left the vixen's mouth, a final exhalation of breath left her mouth and her right hand-paw collapses onto the cold, concrete floor. It was in that particular moment Matt realized something.

Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde was dead… and it was all his fault.

His eyes immediately widen after her last breath and began shaking her body frantically, like a kit trying to wake its mother after the mother had passed on.

“No! Nononononono! Tomoe, please!” Matt pleaded, wanting her to stay alive in order to get his aunt the treatment she needed for the mortal injury he caused.

Try as he might, it was all in vain. Tomoe was dead, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to bring her back. His eyes narrow with tears continuously streaming down his face, and he wraps his arms around the vixen's shoulders in remorse. Several sobs left his mouth even when he briefly buried his muzzle into her left shoulder remorsefully. But the fox leans his head and one name left his mouth in a pleading, remorseful cry.

“ _ **TOMOE!!!**_ ” Matt cried as loud as he could, his eyes closed and tears continuing to steam down his face, droplets of his tears hitting the deceased vixen's face as he held her dearly. “Its not alright! How the hell could it be alright?!” the fox continued to cry even as his tears continue to trail down his face, not caring if they trailed passed the bleeding slash wound on his left cheek that perpendicularly crossed the current scar he had. “If someone had to die, it should've been me! The killer! Not you! How can it be right for you to die! I should've been the one to die!” the broken vulpine continued to cry in anguish and despair, his arms tightening around Tomoe's shoulder and burying his face onto her left shoulder.

Stu and Judy Hopps were unsure of what to do to help Matt, not even Jenny was unsure of how she could help her fox. But the one thing all three bunnies had in common was the fact all of them were completely horrified about what happened, and all three of them knew for a fact his cries of remorse were completely genuine. Yet even if they were unsure of what to do, someone had to do something to comfort the fox himself. And that someone was Jenny herself! She started walking towards the fox with a worried expression being bore on her face.

She didn't even make it halfway when her ears flickered to the faint sound of shuddering breaths coming from the fifth floor balcony above the courtyard. But Jenny wasn't the only one who caught the sound either, because even as Jenny was turning towards the balcony's direction, Judy and Stu turn towards the exact same direction where they were heading. And the instant Jenny's eyes caught the source of the shuddering breaths, her eyes widened, and her body became still in an instant.

Enishi Yukishiro Wilde was standing at the top of the balcony with his eyes shot wide open, his gaze fixed directly upon Matt and his deceased sister, Tomoe. His mouth was agape, his shoulders quivering slightly, and his breathing shuddering repetitively. He could not believe what he was witnessing. But more importantly, to the bunnies (or Jenny at the very least), how long had he been standing there?!

Unbeknownst to Matt and the others, Enishi had left the fifth floor surveillance room sometime during the battle in order to watch the fight from the outside. He wanted to get a closer look at the ongoing fight rather than watch it through the cameras. He wanted to watch the Battousai's planned assassination in person, from his own very eyes. But instead, by the time he had gotten to the balcony, he had witnessed the Battousai not only slay Tatsumi easily, but he had killed Enishi's older sister, completely unaware Matt had unintentionally killed her.

“My sister's… dead…” Enishi uttered under his breath, his words barely audible. Not even the bunnies were able to capture what the white haired fox had said. But whatever it was, they figured it had something to do with the death of Tomoe.

Seeing the sight of his nephew crying in remorse and holding his aunt after he had accidentally slain her sickened the hell out of Enishi. For all he cared, this could be a mere act for people to feel sorry for him, a conniving act to the point it sickened Enishi's own vulpine heritage. His hand-paws started curling into fists, and his mouth closes with a snarl, his teeth becoming barred, his brows furrowing, and a growl starting to leave his mouth. All rational thought started to leave the fox's mind, only to be filled with pure, undiluted rage. And it was that moment when he finally let everything out at once, directly at the one who'd slain his sister.

“MATTHEW PALLADIN WILDE, YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!” Enishi shouted from the top of his lungs, his own tears starting to stream down his face even as the rage continued to linger. Matt immediately directly towards the older fox even as he held the corpse of his own aunt in his arms.“YOU KILLED MY SISTER OUT OF COLD BLOOD, YOUR OWN AUNT! HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?!” the rage driven fox continued, even as Matt and the three rabbits gazed directly at him, yet Matt's eyes were shot wide open out of both shock and remorse. “YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO THE WILDE FAMILY NAME, MATT, JUST LIKE YOUR ARROGANT FATHER WAS! I WILL NOT ALLOW ANYONE FROM THE LIKES OF YOU TO LIVE, NOT AFTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO TOMOE!!”

It was in that particular instance did Enishi grab a hold of the railing on the balcony before jumping up onto the railing, his left foot-paw connecting and preparing to jump off the ledge. But before he could, a deadly explosion went off with a loud ' _ **BA-CHOOM**_ ', which bore enough force to knock the fox on the balcony backwards onto the floor. Even Matt and the three bunnies were starting to become rather suspicious of the sudden attack, completely unsure of what the hell caused the explosion.

“The self destruct sequence has been activated. Repeat, the self destruct sequence has been activated. This sequence cannot be aborted. All employees must proceed to evacuate the facility immediately”, a monotone, computerized voice suddenly spoke through the intercom on the same floor level, much to everyone's surprise. Now that was completely unexpected! A self destruct sequence?!

“Ugh! Damn that double crossing bitch!” Enishi cursed while simultaneously slamming his fists against the balcony railing. “She activated the self destruct sequence when I specifically told her not to! God dammit!” the white haired fox continued angrily much to his anger. He wanted to kill the Battousai right now with his own hand-paws. But it seems fate has other plans for him. But the vulpine quickly glares at the assassin and points his right index finger directly at the manslayer. “Today's your lucky day, assassin! But mark my words, I will kill you. The years may pass, and maybe a new era may come, but I WILL kill you!” and with those last words leaving the balcony and began to evacuate the facility. Matt himself turns his head back towards Tomoe's dead body and continued to gaze at her with wide eyes.

Hearing the sirens wailing after the self destruct sequence had been activated sent waves of panic through the three bunnies, with Stu and Judy looking at each other frantically. They were about to start discussing a way out when their notice Jenny immediately rushing towards her fox. The English doe herself power slides next to Matt's left, her hand-paws quickly, but gently grabbing his shoulder's right afterwards.

“Matt, we have to go! The facility's about to self destruct!” Jenny urged her lover and frantically shook his body as she spoke, but her words fell to deaf ears as the tod himself didn't make a single move. He was still in distraught after what he had done, and Jenny understood why. But now was not the time to grieve over this tragic loss. “Matt, PLEASE! We have to go”, and right as she said those words did Judy and Stu immediately rush towards the two. Judy kneels next to the other rabbit and places her hand-paws on Jenny's back and left forearm respectively, while Stu, on the other hand, moved next to Matt's right and gazed directly at the two female rabbits.

“Jude, take Jenny out of here immediately. I'll take care of Matt”, Stu ordered rather calmly, despite the amount of panic he was feeling inside of his body. But he couldn't afford to show his fear in front of the others. He had to get the others out of here immediately. The instant he saw Judy nodding with understanding towards her father, he watched his daughter lead Jenny directly towards the double doors, despite Jenny being reluctant to leave her mate's side. But after he saw Judy reach the double doors and stop to wait for them, Stu turns his attention towards the distraught fox and places his right hand-paw onto the fox's left shoulder. “Matt, we have to go! The darn place's about to explode!” the bunny urged with the hope he can get through to him. But before he can say anything else, the intercom suddenly started to speak. And what it said sent shivers down his spine.

“This facility will detonate in five… minutes”, the monotone computerized voice of the intercom claimed, much to the older rabbit's shock. His hand-paws grab a hold of Matt's left arm and began to pull him away from the scene.

“Matt! We have to get the hell out of here!” Stu urged rapidly even as he tried to get Matt back onto his feet-paws. But he was stopped abruptly when Matt's right hand-paw grabs a hold of the bunny's left wrist. The bunny was about to snap until he saw the look in Matt's eyes. The look the fox bore in his eyes were pleading and filled with tears, much like a child pleading to their parents for whatever important reason they have. And this case was no different, especially with what he was pleading.

“I can't leave Tomoe's body here!” Matt began, shaking his head a couple of times even as he continued. “We can't leave her body here! Not here!” the fox cried, a couple of tears streaming down his face even as the bunny continued to look at him in shock. It was in that particular moment he understood what the fox truly wanted.

“Matt, we don't have time! This place is about to explode any minute!” Stu yelled in an attempt to get Matt onto his feet in order to get the hell out of there, but the fox himself wouldn't dare to move. “We have to-”

“Please!” Matt begged, his breathing becoming heavy even as he continued to beg. “I don't wanna leave her here. I don't wanna leave her here!” the fox continued, right before closing his eyes and letting a few sobs leave his muzzle. Even if they didn't have time left, he didn't want to leave Tomoe's body here. Not after what he did. “Please…” he begged pleadingly with a sob leaving his mouth, tears continuing to stream down his face.

Stu Hopps was now having a personal dilemma within himself. On one hand, he wanted to get the hell out of here before this place exploded, since they literally had less than five minutes to evacuate the facility. On the other hand, while it may possibly hinder the chance of evacuation, it wouldn't feel right to leave Tomoe's body even after Matt had unintentionally killed her with his own blade. And with that in mind, a calm sigh left his mouth and turned his attention towards Matt, his mind finally made up.

“Alright”, Stu replied with a nod right before rushing towards the deceased vixen's legs, wrapping his arms around the woman's legs securely while being careful with the corpse. “We ain't got time to hang around, Matt. Now lets skedaddle!” he immediately ordered, and almost right after he said that, Matt secures a tight grip around his deceased aunt's torso (just underneath her breasts) and immediately rushed towards the courtyard exit, where both Judy and Jenny were impatiently waiting for them.

With only a few minutes left on the clock, Judy and Jenny hastily open the doors and allow Matt and Stu swiftly rush through them, since both men were carrying the body of Tomoe in their grip. They followed the two immediately afterwards and start rushing towards the elevator doors up ahead. The constant wailing of the self-destruct sirens continue to blare as loudly as the sirens going off at a military base during an attack. The halls that once bore a bright light now bore a constantly flashing red color, the lights rotating like a police siren.

They were several yards away from the elevator doors, and the group began quickening the pace of their sprinting as fast as they could. They were eager to get the hell out of there and be gone from this place.

Unfortunately, a nasty explosion coming from within the elevator immediately stopped them on their tracks, the four mammals quickly stepping a few feet away from the elevator doors even as the doors themselves literally blew towards their direction. Luckily for them, none of them were hit by the heavily dented, destroyed silver doors. However, the possibility of escaping through the elevator immediately blew right through the window, and now were unsure of how to escape from this place.

“Damn!” Stu cursed with a growl, his eyes narrowing, his brows furrowing, and his hand-paws clenching into fists even as he held onto the vixen's corpse by her thighs. “What are we gonna do now?!” he exclaimed with a frustrated and panicked tone even as he began to look around the entire fourth floor for a map of sort, or perhaps find a sign that'll lead them to another method of escape.

“I can't say for certain, but there should be a stairway nearby that'll lead us to the lower floors”, Matt replied quickly even while using his eyes to scout the area for a sign or anything else that'll lead them to either the stairway, or perhaps another functional elevator within the area. Fortunately for him, his eyes catch the sight of a door leading to the stairway next to one of the labs. “Over there!” and with that, the vulpine assassin secures his grip on the corpse of his aunt right before he and the others start sprinting towards the door, with Judy rushing to the doorknob and grabbing a hold of it with both of her hand-paws.

Almost immediately, Judy opens the door and rushes inside, holding the door open and allowing Jenny, her father, and Matt to pass through the door. Matt's eyes fix themselves towards the stairs leading downwards and lead the way. He quickly rushes downstairs with the others following behind, yet kept a delicate grip on his aunt's body even as he ran down the stairs. The smell of her corpse began filling the stairway, but the four mammals ignored the smell of death that began to linger. It was a race against time, and they needed to get the hell out of there immediately!

It didn't take long for the group to arrive onto the second floor, much to their relief. The sight of the first floor door was within their grasp. But an explosion suddenly goes off with a loud ' _ **BOOM**_ ' and literally blew the door off the hinges keeping it in place. The smoke and raging fires quickly started to engulf the stairway, and the sight caused the four to stop dead on their tracks in the middle of the stairway.

“Shit!” Matt sword under his breath, even as he swiftly approaches the door with the group and uses his left foot-paw to kick the door open. He enters the second floor hallway and uses the same foot-paw to hold the door open for Stu and the two female rabbits to enter. They entered rather quickly, and the fox uses the same foot-paw to kick the door shut before scouting for another way to exit.

Alas, his jade green eyes spot another stairway in the hallway on the left and immediately started darting towards it, the three bunnies following suit even with Stu securing his grip on the dead vixen's legs. All of them became relieved at the doors up ahead, even as their panting breaths gradually grew louder with each step they made towards it. They were finally ready to get out of here, with barely more than a couple of minutes left on the clock.

Then something unexpected had happened! A heavily muscular built male tiger suddenly broke through one of the glass windows leading into one of the labs, landing on all fours right after the mammal had broken through. But what caught their attention was the manner he landed, and the way his predatory, yellow-green colored eyes glared at the four approaching mammals. Judy and Stu were completely confused and shocked at the sight, but Matt and Jenny immediately recognized the signs right away!

“Matt, he's gone savage!” Jenny exclaimed with pure shock, even as the tiger crouches forward after locking his eyes directly at the four mammals in front of him. He stretches the fingers on his hand-paws along with unsheathing his claws, preparing to launch himself towards the four in front of the beast.

“Great…” Matt scoffed and shook his head out of frustration, right before turning his head at both Jenny and Judy. “Jen, Jude! Hold on to Tomoe's body for me. I'll take care of him”, the fox ordered rather quickly, as time was of the essence.

As Jenny and Judy quickly grab a hold of Tomoe's body and held her delicately around the torso area, Matt grabs the hilt of his katana and pulls his sword out of its sheath. He grabs the wakizashi from Judy by its sheath and places it back through his belt on the left side of his body. That was the moment he refocused his eyes back towards the feral mammal before clutching the hilt with both of his hand-paws.

“Gah! We don't have time for your bullshit!” Matt growled, even as he notices the tiger pulling his body backwards and preparing to launch himself towards the assassin. The fox took a few steps to the left in order to make sure the tiger launch himself at the others in an attempt to draw his gaze away from the prey mammals he was accompanying. Fortunately, this seemed to have worked. “That's right, buddy, eyes on the fox”, he narrowed his eyes at the tiger even as those words left his mouth, waiting for the tiger to launch himself at him with the plan he had formulated in his mind.

Right as he expected, the tiger suddenly launches himself towards the fox, with the vulpine turning to the left wall and jumping onto it quickly at the last second. The tiger failed to kill his target, and the feral beast was about to pay the ultimate price! Matt was nearly fifteen feet above the tiger right before he pointed his blade at the feral predator, ready to end the beasts life and get the hell out of here.

The tiger was turning his head left and right hoping to find his target, failing to realize the fox was literally right above him. By the time the tiger had spotted the fox a second or two later, it was already too late! Matt's blade pierces right through the tiger's skull and even pierced through the upper part of his back, killing the feral mammal immediately as a result of the Battousai's attack. Matt swiftly pulls his blade out and turns towards the rabbits, with blood splurting out of the wounds caused by the fox's blade.

“C'mon! We don't have much time!” Matt quickly exclaimed right before flicking his blade towards the front and flicking most of the blood off of his sword. And even as he sheathed his blade, the fox, along with the three bunnies accompanying the assassin, started sprinting towards the entrance to the second stairway and bursting through the double doors. He held the door open long enough for all three of them to flee from the second floor.

Although they noticed smoke coming through the cracks of the first floor door, they were relieved to know the door was still intact. But even if that were the case, they all knew they had to flee if they were to escape from this horrid place! Matt quickly reaches for the door and unsheathes his katana, rapidly swinging the blade diagonally and destroying the door within a mere second. Judy and Stu's eyes widen from what Matt had done, but neither one of them bothered to question his abilities. But right as the pieces of the door fall onto the ground, Matt was met with a thick cloud of dark gray smoke blowing towards his direction, causing him to quickly cover his muzzle with his shirt before raising his blade upward.

The next thing Matt did surprised the living hell out of everyone accompanying the fox, even Jenny herself hadn't expected what he was about to do. Matt started rapidly rotating the blade clockwise like a propeller attached to the front of an airplane. The force of the rotating blade proved to be more than enough to blow the black smoke away from them, thus reducing the density of the smoke enough to where Matt and the three rabbits start making haste towards the exit.

As surprised as the rabbits were, including Jenny, admittedly, not a single one decided to question the level of skill Matt bore with his swordsmanship. Jenny knew without a doubt Matt was extremely competent with a sword, but she hadn't expected him to push the smoke back with the force of the vacuums created by the rapid rotations of his sword. Not even the wreathing flames could withstand the force of his rapidly propelling blade. Matt was truly a marvelous mammal and she honestly had a lot more respect for her lover because of his skill.

Fortunately for them, they were able to make it outside of the facility with ease, with barely less than a minute left to evacuate Bellwether Enterprises. Matt spots the truck nearby and rushes towards it, sheathing his sword before grabbing the back door of the truck. As he opened it, Matt jumps onto the back of the truck and moved towards the front, grabbing a hold of Tomoe's corpse and quickly, albeit gently, sliding her body towards him as he took a seat. Stu sought the opportunity to get the truck going, sliding the key into the ignition and turning it towards the front. At first, he started to panic when the engine didn't start, even as Judy and Jenny quickly entered the truck through the passenger's side. But much to his relief, the truck managed to start after the fourth try, with only slightly less than thirty seconds to spare.

Matt immediately closes the back door of the truck shortly before the old buck switched the truck to reverse and pressed on the gas. Stu pulled out of the parking space his truck occupied and immediately switched it to drive, quickly pressing the gas pedal and driving through the parking lot exit. There was not much time to waste, and they needed to get out of the premises immediately if they were to avoid the blast radius of the self-destruct sequence. They didn't care if there was ice on the road. Fuck the consequences!

Just several seconds after Stu and the others escaped Bellwether Enterprises, the entire facility exploded with several loud ' _ **BA-CHOOM**_ ' noise. Jenny and Judy turn towards the rear view mirror and notice several large, black and orange colored flaming clouds bursting into the air as a result of the explosions. Stu's eyes remain fixed on the road, and Matt's own remain locked towards the corpse of his aunt, Tomoe. The fox's arms remain wrapped around the vixen's shoulders, not caring if the remnants of her blood began to stain the lower parts of his pants.

But even as his eyes remained fixed on Tomoe's body, Jenny and Judy turn twist their bodies enough to turn their heads at Matt's direction. Seeing the fox in his current state, they couldn't help but feel bad for him. Yeah, her death was shocking, even if she had been slain by the Battousai himself. But both of them knew it was unintentional, even if he tried in vain to save his aunt despite the severity of her mortal wounds.

If only they knew a way they could help him… if only Jenny knew a way she could help her fox…

“Matt…” Jenny spoke softly under her breath, her tone full of sympathy towards her fox. She wanted to be there with him to comfort him, even if it were cold outside. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was alright. But even if she was able to, how could she comfort Matt after he had unintentionally killed Tomoe.

Reluctantly, the English-born doe turns away from the rear window and looks down towards her hand-paws with half-lidded eyes, which currently gripped her knees neither gently nor roughly. She was broken out of her trance when Judy's right hand-paw gently grabs a hold of her left shoulder, causing the doe to glance at the other with a curious expression on her face.

“You're worried about him, aren't you?” Judy asked softly, her expression showing genuine concern towards her, and sympathy towards the loss of someone Jenny had knew for a couple months, the loss of someone she and her own father had only met the day before. But more importantly, she was feeling sorry for the pain Matt had to go through…

“More than anything, Judy…” Jenny answered with an honest nod, her tone filled with sorrow and shifting her gaze from the other doe towards her own knees. “I really wanna help him, but I… but I-” she continued, but was soon interrupted the instant she felt Judy's right hand-paw gently cup her chin and tilt her head towards her.

“Jenny”, Judy began with a soft tone of voice, which was only audible enough for Jenny to hear her, but not enough for her father to hear, or at the very least not as easily. But whether or not Stu heard her was unsure, for his attention was focused on the road, wanting to put as much distance between them and the now destroyed facility as possible, all while trying his best to avoid an accident on the partially icy roads. “Listen to me. The best thing you can do for him right now is be there for him. Support him in whatever way you can, and make it clear you are there for him no matter what”, the doe urged, albeit with the same soft voice in an attempt to keep the conversation between the two.

Jenny herself continued to stare at the female doe for at least another moment before closing her eyes for a prolonged moment. She gave a gentle nod towards her friend before looking back towards the rear view mirror near the windshield, her eyes locked directly towards Matt himself. She kept her gaze locked towards the reflection of her fox before letting a soft sigh leave her mouth, turning her head to her knees and fixing their eyes on them.

The remainder of the ride remained silent, except for the sound of the heater blowing into the interior of the truck itself. Not even music was playing inside of the truck. Nobody even bothered to turn it on, nor were they in the mood to listen to anything right now. Then again, there's not really much of a point if all the stations were gonna report about the gradually growing chaos in Kawasabus, not even today's popular, uplifting music would be able to lift the somber mood from the environment.

* * *

 

Half an hour after the group fled the facility, along with careful driving along the icy roads did they manage to pull up in the parking lot where Matt, Jenny, and the late Tomoe lived in. Matt stood up onto his feet-paws and moves towards the back of the truck, opening it before grabbing a hold of his aunt's corpse by her torso and under her knees. As he lifts her up and kept a secure grip on her body, he jumps off of the bed of the truck before closing the door with his right foot-paw. But as he began walking into the house with her corpse, Jenny opens the passenger truck door and exits the vehicle, closing tight and began following her fox inside. But after passing the truck, Stu rolls down his window and catches her attention with a whistle.

“Jen, is it a good idea for you to stay with him?” Stu asked, his tone filled with concern towards the bunny. And even if he felt bad for Matt accidentally killing his own aunt, he was still concerned about Jenny hanging around with him, even after discovering he was a deadly manslayer.

“Yeah”, Jenny answered honestly with a nod. “He's my mate, and I need to be there for him in his time of pain”, she added, and while Stu had slightly flinched at the word 'mate', he decided not to speak against it in order to avoid causing a scene. The last thing anybody needed was an argument on interspecies relations. With a soft sigh, the buck nodded with understanding before placing the clutch on reverse

“I understand”, Stu responded, preparing to press the gas as he turns his head towards the back of the truck, placing his right hand-paw behind the head of the passenger's seat. He was about to press the gas before feeling Jenny's hand-paws grab his left forearm, catching the buck's attention as a result.

“Before you go, there's a favor I want to ask of you both”, as those words left Jenny's mouth, Stu and Judy's ears perk upward with curiosity, turning their heads towards her direction with similarly toned expressions.

“What do you need?” Stu asked, his and his daughter's eyes gazing intently at the English-born bunny standing in front of the driver's side door.

“I need you to find someone for me when you return to Kawasabus”, Jenny began, moving her hand-paws to grip the open window on the truck door. “Find Thrandeer Katzuma, the leader of the Neo-Imperialist Ishin-Mirkwood clan. He's a deer buck with long, blonde hair and light blue eyes. You'll know him when you see him”.

“Tell us what we need to do, and we'll get it done as soon as possible”, Judy quickly replied, her tone being filled with determination. Whatever it was she needed, she intended to get it done for her friend. It was the least she can do after Jenny's mate had protected her.

“I need you to tell him everything that happened up here”, Jenny answered with her brows slightly furrowing in a serious manner. “I will warn you, though, since the Neo-Shogunate's trying to track him down, he's become a pretty elusive mammal. If Matt and I were able to get in contact with him, we would've told him everything that happened. But three weeks ago, we've lost contact with him, not even his phone's turned on”, the doe explained. “Please, it's very important you find him, no matter the cost. Thrandeer needs to know what happened up here”.

Right after the bunny had finished, both Stu and his daughter turn towards one another and locked gazes with each other. After finding out Thrandeer being an elusive mammal, they (or Stu at least) started to reconsider if whether or not such a search was even worth it. Not because of time, but because of how difficult it is. Yet with everything that happened today, they knew this needed to be done. It was the least they can do to repay Matt for saving and keeping them protected. Both bunnies turn back towards Jenny and give her a reassuring nod.

“Alright, I can't make any promises about finding this Thrandeer Katzuma, Jen. But we'll do our best”, Stu replied with a serious tone on his face, with the English-born doe responding with an understanding nod.

“I understand”, Jenny replied with a nod. And with those words said, Stu turns to the back of the truck and presses on the gas, pulling out of the driveway even as the doe turns towards the direction where the front door was. She walks into the house as the truck immediately starts driving towards Kawasabus with cautious haste, thus allowing the Hopps and the interspecies couple to continue with their lives. One with determination to find a Neo-Imperialist, and the other with grief and sorrow for the one they lost.

* * *

 

The next few days had passed by rather quickly for both Jenny and Matt, and much had happened during their time in grieving. They had to use much of the money they've made from their fishing business to pay for funeral, transportation, and auto repair expenses. The transportation expenses were needed to convey Tomoe's body to the funeral home, along with treading the mortal injuries the deceased vixen had unintentionally sustained from Matt. The auto repair expenses were required as a result of Matt getting into an accident while driving his Challenger to Bellwether Enterprises, which were the reason the transportation expenses were needed. The funeral costs were obvious, yet the interspecies couple could only afford a small funeral within the area, and only invited people who were close to her. It was Matt who took responsibility to inform his aunt's friends on what happened, but withheld on the one responsible for her death.

If only he could, he would've informed his relatives who lived in Zootopia. But as much as he wanted to, he had to refrain from that action, lest he would reveal his living existence towards his siblings.

The funeral took place at the New Otsu Funeral Home on the morning of December the twenty sixth, exactly one week after the incident leading to Tomoe's death. Because the funeral was held at such a small location, only Matt, Jenny, and roughly thirty two others had attended the funeral. Surprisingly enough, even a few Neo-Imperialists like Emmitt Otterton (whom worked with Tomoe as a florist) and Takeshi Sagamori had come to pay their respects for the deceased vixen and provide comfort for the interspecies couple.

Matt himself was dressed in a dark green dress shirt with the top couple buttons being unbuttoned, with his black tie being loosely wrapped around his neck. A black dress coat was worn over the shirt and matched the color of his slim fitting slacks, which his shirt was currently tucked into and secured with a black leather belt. Lastly, his feet-paws were covered in a pair of formal, open toe coverings around his ankles.

Jenny herself was dressed in similar clothing to her mate's own garments, yet bore a few distinctions. Her slim fitting dress shirt was a cerulean blue color and nearly matched the color of her eyes, but didn't wear a tie of sort to go with the shirt. However, a black coat was worn over the shirt and a similarly colored, slim fitting skirt was worn over her legs, which were just a few inches above knee length. A pair of black mid heel shoes were worn on her feet-paws, and bumped her height up a good couple inches as a result.

Because of the type of fit her shirt was, it made the slight bump around her belly region quite apparent, although wasn't enough for anyone to notice. Not even Matt was able to notice, although given the current circumstances, was quite understandable.

Many tears were shed during the funeral, including from Matt Wilde himself, whom had accidentally slain her during his battle against Tatsumi. The attendees said their tearful goodbyes towards the vixen resting in her currently open casket even as they left to their vehicles, with Matt and Jenny being the last ones to leave and took the most time gazing directly at Tomoe's body. But even with that, they, too, followed the others outside and followed the others towards the New Otsu Cemetery.

It was a ten minute drive to the graveyard, but as soon as Matt and Jenny had arrived to the cemetery, the casket was taken towards one of the back isles directly in front of a pine tree. Although many of the funeral attendees had left after the pastor gave one final prayer, only a handful of mammals had stayed behind to watch the pallbearers descend the casket into the grave (including Matt, Jenny, and Emmitt Otterton). He was on the verge of breaking down into tears at this point, but he stayed strong for his bunny. Jenny's arms were wrapped around her fox, and her face was buried in his shirt, with tears continuing to stream down her face and soaking Matt's shirt.

Even as the fox held his bunny in a comforting embrace, Tomoe Yukishiro Wilde was given to the earth.

* * *

 

It was now night in New Otsu, and the entire town was covered in snow. The roads were nearly icy, and even Lake Erie nearly frozen. Many of the residents were inside the comforts of their own homes continuing about their business or enjoying the company of others. But even if that were the case for many, it certainly wasn't for Matt nor Jenny.

As of right now, Jenny was making dinner preparations for the two in the kitchen while Matt was sat on the futon with his back leaning forward. His shoulders slumped, and his head was hanging just the same, his eyes half-lidded and filled with a mixture of sadness, grief, and depression. Matt's attire now consisted of a dark gray T-shirt and a pair of black baggy pajama pants, where white stripes can be seen on the outer sides of his legs. Usually, his hair would be tied back, but in this particular instance, it wasn't, and his bangs practically covered much of his face.

If his bangs weren't covering his face so easily, Jenny would see the glistening sadness in Matt's eyes, even as he lifts his head up towards the portrait photo on the coffee table in front of him. The photo was taken on December the sixteenth, and it depicted Matt, Jenny, and Tomoe sitting on the front deck of the yacht. Matt and Jenny sat on the front with the fox's arms wrapped around his bunny, whom was sitting in his lap, while Tomoe was standing behind Matt with her hand-paws placed on Matt's broad shoulders.

In the photo, Matt's torso was covered by a black thermal shirt that bore a slim fit to his strongly built torso, and even depicted some of the muscle definition though his shirt. His hair was tied back in a high ponytail, with the exception of his medium long length bangs and long side bangs, and flowed towards his right in correlation with the wind currents. A pair of sanded blue bootcut jeans covered his legs comfortably, with the thighs being a tight fit while loosened underneath his knees. His hand-paws were covered with a pair of black and red stripped gloves that covered his hand-paws to their entirety, much like how his black open toe boots covered his feet-paws.

Jenny's attire in the photo consisted of a cerulean blue turtle neck keyhole sweater, which the keyhole portion of the sweater was big enough to show a tasteful amount of Jenny's cleavage. Her long dark brown/dark blond hair wasn't tied back like her lover's was, and her hair flowed freely towards the same direction her fox's hair flowed. A pair of tight fitting black jeans covered her legs entirely, showing off the curvature of her hips along with the curves of her legs. Like her fox, her feet-paws were covered by a pair of similarly designed gloves, yet the stripes on them were blue instead of red. Lastly, her feet-paws were covered entirely by a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor shoes.

Tomoe's attire in the photo consisted of a white kimono with a purple shawl attached around her neck and shoulders. But underneath the kimono, and hardly noticeable from her chest area, a dark lavender colored thermal shirt can be seen, most likely for extra warmth in the cold weather. Not much else can be seen regarding her clothing, but much like Jenny's long, untied hair, Tomoe's hair can be seen flowing in the same direction as the two Interspecies lovers' own.

Even if the photo did little to lift his spirits, they merely dampened with one particular fact. This was the last photo they had taken with Tomoe three days prior to her death. He was at a loss of words for what to say. He honestly didn't know…

…but even if he wasn't sure on what to say, he still had to say something instead of bottling up his emotions. He had to say something…

For Tomoe.

The fox himself was about to start speaking when he felt a bunny-sized hand-paw gently grab a hold of his right shoulder and caught his attention almost immediately. Despite keeping the saddened, half-lidded expression in his eyes, his eyes gaze curiously towards his bunny, whom was looking at him with deep concern in her sapphire eyes.

“Matt…” Jenny began softly, her ears drooping and her eyes gazing directly at him as if they were trying to scout the thoughts coursing his saddened mind. “Talk to me…” she pleaded, even as she was moving her right hand-paw towards Matt's, covering his left cheek partially and tracing her thumb just underneath the cross shaped scar that now permanently occupied it. Matt's jade green eyes gazed at his lovers sapphire pair only for a moment, but closed when it passed and cups her right hand-paw with his left. He grasps her hand-paw gently and lowers her hand-paw slowly.

“Jen, don't worry about me… I'm fine”, Matt lied in the most convincing manner possible, but the sadness in his voice claimed otherwise. Jenny's brows furrowed and glared at her fox.

“Don't lie to me, Matt”, Jenny responded sternly, keeping her gaze locked on Matt's even as she spoke almost authoritatively. “Your ears are pinned to the bI can see the look in your eyes. The sadness, remorse, all of it. I know how bad it hurts, but I can't let you keep it bottled up inside of you!” the bunny exclaimed, her voice both stern, pleading, and full of worry. Her furrowed brows arch upward pleadingly even as her glistening eyes remain locked on his. “Matt… I'm worried about you”, the rabbit continued, her voice much softer and her hand-paws moving downwards towards Matt's own, interlocking her fingers with his. “Please… let me in”.

Even as she pleaded her fox to open up to him, Matt's eyes remain fixed upon her glistening, pleading pair. By now, his eyes were no longer half-lidded, but fully open upon realizing how worried his bunny was for him. If only he had the right words to tell her how he really felt about everything that's happened regarding the death of Tomoe. With a soft sigh leaving his mouth, the vulpine closes his eyes and lowers his head.

“Jenny…” Matt began, his tone calm and his brows slightly furrowing as he continued to speak. “I appreciate what you're trying to do, I really do. But I'm really not in the mood to talk about it right now. So why don't you do me a favor and drop it”, the fox finished calmly, albeit the last few words came out a little harsher than he intended to, But he honestly wanted to get his point across and make it clear he didn't wanna talk about it… at least not yet. Jenny's eyes widen and her ears perk upward not only from the words he said, but the tone behind them at the end.

“Matt, what's wrong with-”

“I said DROP IT!” Matt snapped rather harshly this time, his brows furrowed furiously, his eyes glaring angrily at her, and his sharp, white canines barred in a snarl. Jenny flinched at the harshness of his tone and within the next second, Matt's anger vanished quickly and almost quickly became guilty with the tone he bore towards his mate. His ears droop backwards against his head before closing his eyes, a soft sigh leaving the back of his mouth. “I'm sorry…. I just got a lot on my mind right now”, the fox continued, his tone much softer and filled with guilt. “I just need some time to myself…”

And right after he said those words, the fox started walking towards the back shoji door and with his head lowered, his now half-lidded eyes depressingly gazing at the floor as he walked towards the door. He honestly couldn't tell which was worse at this point: the fact he had killed his aunt, or the fact he snapped at his own mate, whom was only trying to help him out of his state of depression. The fox raises his head slightly upon reaching the halfway mark between the futon he sat on barely fifteen seconds ago to the back door.

But before he could comprehend what happened next, a bunny sized hand-paw suddenly grabs him by his left shoulder and turns the fox directly towards the bunny's direction. And with that, the fox's shifts his gaze curiously at the bunny…

…only to be met with a furious clenched fist slamming right onto the left side of a face with an audible ' _ **POW**_ '. If the punch didn't shock the hell out of Matt, the force behind it surely did. Because the punch itself literally knocked him back a good several feet away from Jenny, the tod collapsing onto the kitchen floor as he did. He was about to stand back up onto his feet-paws, but was stopped when Jenny's hand-paws roughly clench the collar of his shirt and was literally pulled up to Jenny's level. And as soon as Matt eyes gaze directly at Jenny's sapphire pair, his heart sank and only one word could describe the feeling that piercing glare was giving off: Fury!

And holy hell were those bunny's eyes filled with them!

“MATTHEW PALLADIN WILDE! I'm not gonna let you push me away like that” Jenny shouted from the top of her lungs, her brows furrowed and her teeth bared at him angrily. She was not gonna let him act like this, not on her watch! “Don't you get it, you dumb fox! You're not the only one whose suffering from this tragedy! You're NOT the only one!” she yelled, her tone angry even as tears began to well at the corner of her eyes. “I know I can never understand the pain you're going through after killing Tomoe by accident, but that doesn't mean you have to go through the pain alone…” she continued, although her voice did start to crack even as she spoke. Matt's brows furrowed from her words and was constantly clenching and opening his right hand-paw in an attempt to sate his gradually rising anger.

“Jen!” Matt exclaimed as calmly as possible, even if it bore a slight growl in his voice. “I get you're trying to help, and while I appreciate it, I'm not gonna allow you to suffer the pain I'm going through because of my actions!” he yelled, turning his head to the right and lowering it, his eyes looking away from his bunny even as the remorseful words continue to leave his mouth. “For nearly three years now, Tomoe tried to do everything in her power to get me out of the assassination business, and now look what happened! She died because of ME!”

“Matt”.

“Three years she tried to get me out, but I still refused to listen thinking the only thing I can do is protect the weak and innocent by ending countless lives. Kill here, kill there, and kill until all those Neo-Shogunate fucks are dead! Ruthless Manslaughter was all it was!”

“Matt!”

“I should've listened to her right from the beginning and chose a different path in life! I should've listened to Master Hiko and finished my training instead of getting myself involved in this political conflict! I should've-”

“MATT!” Jenny shouting his name immediately stopped the fox from speaking, the tod turning to his bunny and looking at her with his brows arching upward, but nonetheless remained furrowed. “Look, you made a mistake, I get that, but you have to stop blaming yourself! Tomoe wouldn't want you blaming yourself over her death!” the bunny shouted, even as she was trying to do whatever she can to help her fox. But with each lingering second, it seemed her attempts were gradually beginning to decline towards failure. She had to do something, and she had to do something now if she wanted to get Matt out of his state of depression.

“Why should I, Jen?! This doesn't have anything to do with you! So why should you care if an assassin like me blamed myself for Tomoe's death because of my actions!” Matt yelled, his brows furrowing angrily at his bunny. But he didn't keep his gaze at the rabbit for long, especially when he turned his head to the right and closed his eyes. “It should've been me that died! It should've been ME! A RUTHLESS KILLER! My life should've been taken that day, not hers!” this argument was beginning to get out of hand, and Jenny's finally fed up with it. She roughly grabs the neckline of his shirt and literally yanks him towards her, her sapphire eyes burning with fiery rage.

“Are you serious, Matt?! Are you FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!” Jenny shouted from the top of her lungs. If Matt wasn't terrified of her fiery glare, he certainly was now. “She sacrificed herself to make sure we still lived, to make sure _**you**_ still lived!” she continued to shout at the fox, even as the tears started to stream down her face. “Listen to me, Matt! I haven't been crying for you because of me being an overly emotional bunny. I'm crying for you because of how much I care about you. You're one of the most irreplaceable mammals ever to walk the earth, the only irreplaceable mammal I have left in my life!” the rabbit continued yelling as an attempt to get her point across. This was her last chance to talk some sense into him, to get him to realize how much she cared for him.

“Yes, I'll admit that after my parents were murdered all those years ago, felt the exact same way you do now. But I continued to live for them because I was the only one left, and I lived for their sake! And you know what, I'm glad I did, because I was able to meet you, Matt. You're the most important mammal I've ever met in my life! Even if we had a bit of a rocky start, the friendship we had grew into an incomprehensible level of love! I don't care if you're a murderer or not! I don't see you as a Manslayer, Matt, but a protector of those who are truly innocent and cannot defend themselves!”

Even as she spoke, Matt couldn't keep his eyes off of the bunny that he so cherished. The words she said had hit him much harder than he realized. Even if he was an animal slayer, Manslayer, Hitokiri, or whatever, Jenny never cared for the fact he was an assassin, but for what he really was as a mammal, for what she truly saw in him. He never expected to hear this from her mouth, and he wasn't sure of how to process this. How could he with his mind in such disarray, and yet being filled with this revelation all the same?

“If only I can take your pain away somehow…. But I know its not possible. I can't say how long this pain will last, but I want you to know for fact you are _**not**_ alone, Matt” Jenny whimpered softly, the raging fire that fueled her rage now burnt out into a sense of calmness, a calmness filled with a pleading cry. She lowers her gaze from the fox and tilts her head down towards her left. “Your happiness is mine, and so is your pain. So please, don't ever say it should've been you that died, Matt. I don't wanna lose you… I don't want our kits to lose their father…” Matt practically gazed at her with surprise right after she mentioned something about kits. Why was she mentioning about kits at this time. What do they have to-

Then it clicked almost instantly for the fox. The amount of food she was eating, the slight, barely noticeable bump he noticed on her stomach right after getting home from the funeral, even the slight bit of weight she gained on her around the stomach region. It all made sense now! How could he have been so blind all this time? How could he have not noticed this until now?

In that moment, the fox gently cups her cheeks gently and tilts her head up towards his direction, his jade green eyes gazing directly into her glistening, sapphire eyes.

“How long?” Matt asked, his tone much calmer and no longer filled with remorse, but with pure, genuine curiosity. “How long ago did you find out you were pregnant?” he repeated much more clearly, shortly before the bunny closes her eyes half-way and turns her gaze to her right, her right hand-paw gently grasping her mate's left.

“A few hours ago”, Jenny answered with an honest tone. “I didn't put much thought in it at first given the circumstances. However, I had a weird feeling I knew what it was, but I wasn't entirely sure and decided to look into it”, the bunny explained, reopening her upper eyelids and gazing upwards at her fox. “I found a few pregnancy test strips in the bathroom and took all of them. All of them came positive, and that's how I knew for certain I'm pregnant”.

With this new knowledge in mind, Matt's eyes widen slightly with shock and removes his hand-paws away from her. He turns his body to his left and leans his back against one of the cabinet doors, his eyes staring vacantly in front of him. He honestly wasn't sure of what to make of the news. On one end, he wanted to be happy with the fact Jenny's bearing his kits, let alone proved it was possible for different species of different classes can procreate under the right circumstances. On another, he felt terrified not only on the fact he was about to become a father, but with the fact he was going to become one during the Chaos scattered all across the Kawasabus region in Ohio. On top of it all, he had just lost someone dear to him by his own blade, and he wasn't sure if this were to be a sign of relief or an increasing burden on his troubled mind.

“Matt…” Jenny began and even reached for his right shoulder with her right hand-paw. “Matt!” she repeated with a slightly louder voice the instant her hand-paw grabs a hold of Matt's shoulder. And fortunately for her, that seemed to do the trick! Almost immediately, Matt snapped his vacant gaze from the front and turns his head towards her, his eyes no longer empty and now completely alert. “Are you alright…?” she asked, but did not receive an answer from her fox. A prolonged silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable filled the entire house, and the fox kept his eyes locked with hers during that prolonged moment. It was then he lowers his upper eyelids in a half-lidded state and turns his head away from the bunny.

“I'm not sure… I just got a lot on my mind at the moment, Jen”, and there was no lie in Matt's words, as his mind was filled with thoughts of the death of Tomoe, the gradually growing Chaos in the Kawasabus region, Jenny's pregnancy, it was honestly beginning to pile up. Fortunately for him, he was able to stray away from those thoughts when he felt the bunny scoot closer to her fox enough to where she's able to climb onto his lap and press herself against his strongly built torso.

“Matt…” Jenny began, her eyes gazing at his even as her right hand-paw gently cups his left cheek, barely covering part of the cross shaped scar that now inhabited it. “You're not alone. Don't you ever forget that”, it was then she leans upward and plants a soft, loving, reassuring kiss on his lips before lowering herself and leaning against his upper body. She rests her head onto his built chest and wraps her arms around her fox's torso, her fingers tracing along his back in an attempt to ease her lover's mind. Whether or not it worked, she wasn't sure.

Matt stared at the cabinet in front of him vacantly and was completely unsure of what to say. Too much was going on in his mind right now, and everything seemed to have piled up on him. But even if his gaze remained vacant, it didn't last for much longer. And one minute after Jenny had finished speaking, his lips began to quiver and his eyes started to water. Tears began to stream down his face right as the tod leans his upper body forward and covers his eyes with both of his hand-paws.

“I'm so sorry, Jen… I'm so sorry…” Matt sobbed, his shoulders quivering even as he let out every ounce of his emotions at once. “Everything that's happened up to this point, Tomoe's death, the chaos…. Its too much…. Its too much!” the fox whimpered, and hearing his cries nearly broke the rabbit's heart. She tightened her hold around her fox, and she presses herself against Matt as much as she could.

“Oh Matt…” Jenny softly whimpered even as a couple of tears streamed down her cheeks. “If only I can take away your pain… even if only for a moment… I would do it in a heartbeat” the bunny thought She closes her eyes and buries her face into the tuft of her fox's neck, even to the point she tightens her hold around his torso in an attempt to comfort her fox, vain or not. It was the only thing could do to comfort Matt, even in his time of pain.

A few minutes passed since Matt let the remainder of his emotions out of his system, even as the bunny continued to hold her fox as comforting as she could. The tears stopped shedding, and so did the sobs and whimpers. It was shortly after they ceased when Matt reciprocated the comforting hug. He rests his head on top of hers and the fox gently tightened his hold on his bunny.

With all that's happened up to this point, the only solace the two can find is within each other, no matter the severity of these times of pain. It was in this moment both lovers made a subconscious decision. They would do everything within their power to keep each other alive and put an end to the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate Government.

No matter the cost…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alas, concludes another chapter of Zootopia X! Writing the latter half of this chapter was rather difficult to say the least, and I had to read other angst based fanfics to get an idea on how to write the remainder of the chapter, mainly a Zootopia fanfic called 'II: Leaving the Past' written by Jayme F. Midorikawa (and holy crap, that guy's one talented author, and be sure to check the guy out, too ^^).
> 
> Thanks again for taking the time to read this story and supporting it. I'll do my best to have the next installment out as soon as possible. ^^


	28. Prelude to an Inevitable War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another installment to Zootopia X. However, before reading the chapter, I want to point out I had to go back into the following Chapters to make the appropriate changes:
> 
> 17: Had to fix the relationship between Karen and the Wilde family, along with some slight reformatting.
> 
> 25: Cleaned this chapter up a bit since I noticed some missing text.
> 
> With that out of the way. I hope you enjoy the next chapter ^^

_ **Prelude to an Inevitable War** _

  


The Kawasabus Airfield, located near the busiest part of town, was currently packed with numerous people on the morning of December the Twenty seventh.Many of them either going on vacation, to relocate to a new place for numerous reasons, or to leave the growing chaos that lurks the town. The jet engines roar loudly in preparation to the upcoming flights. Mammals of all kinds, from the smallest prey to the biggest predator (and vice versa), didn't hesitate boarding onto the planes. All they wanted to do was get the hell out of there before shit hits the fan.

Before a possible war between the Neo-Shogunates and the Neo-Imperialists broke out within the entire Kawasabus region in Ohio.

But for one particular tanuki, however, he needed to get the hell out of there before the Neo-Imperialists discover his location and kill him on sight. Iizuka, the examiner of executions for the Ishin-Mirkwood clan, was currently walking along the back alleys to get to the main airfield. His attire consisted of a midnight teal montsuki shirt tucked into a pair of khaki hakama pants, and the leg openings of his pants were tucked into his black open toe boots respectively. Underneath the montsuki shirt, a gray thermal shirt could be seen, most likely to add extra warmth on him even if his winter coat had come through. On his left, a katana and wakizashi were strapped onto his hakama belt securely and allowing him to move about without the risk of his weapons sliding through the belt. A pair of black samurai tekkou bracers were worn on his forearms, covering the back of his brown gloved hand-paws. The last thing the tanuki had on him was a small, dark khaki colored duffel bag on him containing his essentials for his flight, which was strapped onto the mammal's right shoulder.

Shortly after sending Matt to Bellwether Enterprises eight days prior, the Ishin-Mirkwood traitor had fled New Otsu and contacted a friend of his to make an arrangement to leave the country by ship. Unfortunately, however, things didn't pan out well for him when the weather conditions grew too severe to his liking. But a few days after the Bellwether Enterprise incident, he was able to secure a private jet that'll take him to Shanghai, China on the twenty seventh of December.

Now the twenty seventh has come, and the tanuki was currently on his way to the hangar in which the private jet was located. He took the back alleys in order to sneak into the airfield without getting without getting seen by the authorities facilitating the place.

“Attention all passengers boarding the Shanghai flight, the plane will embark in ten minutes. Please come to the hangar immediately”, the announcer spoke from the intercoms attached to the walls in the alley, which cause the tanuki to hasten the pace of his walking only slightly. He didn't want to act suspicious, but he sure as hell didn't want to miss his flight. Fortunately, from where he was now, he knew he was close to the hangar where his plane was currently located. Just another few blocks, and he'll finally reach his destination.

But it seems he wasn't the only one lurking about the alleyways in the outdoor airfield.

Unexpectedly, A Shiba Inu bearing tan and white colored fur steps into the four way path from the right passage with his back turned against the tanuki. The mysterious mammal was about four feet ten inches in height, and his tail curled towards himself. His long, raven black hair was tied back in a high pony tail, and the top of his head was covered by a takuhatsugasa hat. The articles of clothing was much identical to the clothes Iizuka wore, with a few distinguishing factors. The obvious one was the black haori jacket he wore over his torso, with the bottom hem of the jacket barely passing his knees. His hakama pants matched the color of his jacket and the color of his open toe boots, much to the point it literally blended in with the garment quite thoroughly. The Shiba's hand-paws were covered by black leather gloves, which were worn underneath the brown samurai tekkou bracers he wore over them and his forearms.

Like Iizuka, the mammal was equipped with a katana and wakizashi respectively, which the blade lengths of both weapons were longer than the tanuki's own. The blade length of the Shiba's katana was about twenty eight inches in length, with the hilt of the weapon being about eleven inches in length. The blade length of his wakizashi was about eighteen inches and the hilt of the same weapon was about eight inches in length.

But as the Shiba grabs sheath of his katana with his left hand-paw, the tanuki began to smirk slightly at his actions. It was then he immediately knew what the other mammal intended to do, and one thing was certainly clear of what Iizuka had to do.

“One more piece of business, I guess”, Iizuka began with a slight chuckle, pulling the duffel bag off of his shoulder and placing the bag onto the snow covered ground next to him. His left hand-paw clutches the sheath of his katana and places the corresponding thumb on the guard of his sword, pushing it upward only slightly as he clutches the hilt of his sword. Just like Iizuka, the Shiba clutches the hilt of his katana and tilted the sheathed sword to the right only slightly. “Alrighty then… I'll send another one to his grave. For old time's sake”, as the tanuki said those words, he pulled the katana out of its sheath and tightens his hold on the blade, the smirk remaining on his muzzle and preparing to attack. “Hurry, I have a plane to board!” he exclaimed at the Shiba as if he were ordering him to draw his blade, but the other mammal didn't bother to unsheathe his blade.

But completely oblivious to the tanuki, a sinister, toothy grin began forming on his face, and the Shiba waited patiently for the Ishin-Mirkwood traitor to attack. It would seem even the Shiba himself had plans of his own…

* * *

 

Roughly several blocks away from Iizuka and the Shiba's location, Stu and Judy Hopps were currently wandering about the airfield hoping to find Thrandeer Katzuma, under the behest of Jenny Bunni. When their search began barely over a week ago, they had trouble finding the precise location where the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader would be spotted. One thing they knew about Thrandeer by far was the fact he literally was a very, very elusive mammal, as Jenny had warned. But even if that were the case, neither Judy nor Stu gave up on their search, no matter how hard it got.

During their eight day long search, they even took the time to gather most of their belongings and order a U-Haul trailer large enough to take their belongings in a single, one way trip. Even as they were searching for the Neo-Imperialist clan leader along with gathering their belongings, they noticed the growing tensions between their neighbors and many of the other towns folk as well. They saw how many of their neighbors and townsfolk in Kawasabus had sharpened their blades, stopping by weapons shops to purchase guns, ammunition, and sharp melee weapons of sort. In one particular instance two days prior, both rabbits had seen one of their neighbors brewing explosives within their own home. After witnessing all of this, they immediately realized two things.

One, shit was about to hit the fan at any given moment between the Neo-Shogunate forces and the Neo-Imperialist extremists. And unless they pack the remainder of their belongings and get out of Kawasabus before sundown, they may possibly end up in the middle of the forthcoming bloody chaos.

Two, if the Hopps knew about what was really going on in Kawasabus, they would've never come to the region in the first place. Their lives were much more important than trying to increase business relations between Bunnyburrow and other regions.

Because the weather wasn't not in their favor, both Stu and Judy had to dress accordingly in order to accommodate their needs in the cold conditions outside. Judy's torso was covered by a thin, slim fitting black hoodie that was worn over a similar fitting, dark lavender colored thermal shirt. A pair of tight fitting, sanded blue jeans were worn over her legs and accentuated the curvature of her hips. Lastly, a pair of black ankle binds were worn on her ankles, which not only were the leg openings of her pants tucked into them, but they gave an appearance much similar to open toe combat boots. A pair of lavender gloves were worn over her hand-paws, and a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers were worn over her forearms and the back of her hand-paws.

The articles of clothing Stu wore was similar in terms of the purpose they served: to keep himself warm. His torso was covered by a thick, brown jacket with a gray sweater being worn underneath the coat. A pair of black corduroy pants covered his legs through their entirety, and the thick material that made them kept his legs from freezing in the bitter cold that took over the region. He wore nothing to cover his feet-paws like his daughter did, but he did wear a pair of black cloth gloves thick enough to keep his fingers warm, but thin enough to keep them mobile if needed.

But even with the two dressed as warmly as they possibly could, it didn't stop Judy from shivering her arms from the wind's cold current blowing through the two rabbits.

“Brr… Jesus! Can it get any colder than it already is?!” Judy sarcastically exclaimed with clattering teeth, hand-paws shivering up and down the upper portion of her arms in an attempt to keep herself warm.

“I told ya you should've worn a thicker jacket than what you're wearing now, Jude”, Stu chuckled even as he said those words, but they ceased the instant he saw the death glare she was giving him. “Alright, alright, I'm just messing with ya!”

“Well, har har, Dad!” Judy rolled her eyes with her sarcastic response, tilting her head left and right when she said 'har har'. “But seriously, we gotta keep searching the airfield for this Thrandeer guy. It's the only place we haven't looked yet”.

“I know, Jude”, Stu replied, with a frustrated sigh leaving his mouth shortly after his initial response. “But every time we get information on his whereabouts, we either just miss him or the information we get's a bunch of bogus”, the buck added right before he places his hand-paws inside of his jacket pockets. “I'm telling ya, sweetheart, I'm starting to think this whole search isn't worth-” he was about to finish, but an agonizing masculine cry of pain immediately after the simultaneous ' _ **WHOOSH**_ ' and ' _ **SPLURT**_ ' sounds interrupted the buck's train of thought. Their ears perked when the sounds were heard from several blocks away. The sound may have been faint or inaudible to some, but a rabbits hearing can pick up the faintest sound as clear as day.

“Someone's in trouble! It could be Thrandeer Katzuma! C'mon!” as soon as those words left Judy's mouth, the doe immediately starts sprinting towards the direction where the agonizing cries were heard.

“Judy, wait!” Stu was about to protest, but by the time he said something, the doe was already nearly a block away from where he was currently standing. “Dammit, Jude, you're gonna worry this ol' buck to death one day”, he swore under his breath right before darting towards the direction where her daughter was running at.

Hell, he could barely keep up with the doe because of all the training she did in order to become a cop in the future. Then again, all the training she was currently doing in track certainly proved beneficial for her in terms of both speed and endurance. But by the time he caught up with the doe, he leaned his upper body forward and panted heavily from the amount of running he did for several blocks, failing to see the horrified expression on her face.

“Heh, I'm telling ya, Jude, you're gonna worry this ol' buck to death if you keep running off like-” Stu began, but even as he said those panted words, he looks up to his daughter and finally noticed the horrified expression on her face. “Um, Jude, Jude the Dude? Something the matter?” he asked, finally standing straight up and inching slightly closer towards her. “Judy, you look like you've seen a ghost just now. “Seriously, Judy. What's got you so shaken-” the buck was about to ask while he was turning towards the direction she was looking at. And that was when his mouth went agape and his eyes opened as wide as dinner plates the instant his eyes rested upon what his daughter had been looking at.

The dead corpse of a tanuki, who's torso had been cleanly severed starting from his stomach and cutting right through his left shoulder. Just barely over a foot away from the bunny, a katana with a twenty six inch blade length lay idle in the snowy ground, with the corpse's right hand-paw barely grasping the hilt of the sword. But the disturbing thing about the scene was the fact not only was it a fresh kill, but this was where the source of the noise had come from. And that meant one thing.

The killer had just got away before either one of them had arrived on the scene.

“Good god…” Stu began softly, shaking his head slowly even as his eyes remained fixed upon the body, completely oblivious on the identity of who he really was. “Who or what in the world could've done this?!” by now, his body was shaken at the sight of the corpse, and the buck already took a few steps back from the sight.

Judy, on the other hand, although horrified by the sight, started walking towards the bloody scene of the crime. Even if the fear of the killer possibly lurking about the place, or perhaps walking blindly into a trap, she continued to progress to the body to at least inspect it closely. After all, if she's gonna be a cop in the future, she might as well get a bit of experience now what she has the chance.

But by the time she knelt right in front of the recently murdered victim, Stu immediately caught on with what she was doing and immediately ran towards her direction.

“Judy, are you nuts?!” Stu exclaimed with shock, kneeling next to his daughter all while she was searching the body for anything that could help identify the body. “What are you doing?! The killer could still be around here!” he exclaimed, although by the time he did, the doe had managed to pull out a black leather wallet from the right side of the corpse's body, which was located in an inner pocket inside the man's montsuki shirt. She opens the wallet and pulls a driver's license from the front left slot.

“Iizuka Bartholomee …” Judy said softly to herself, her eyes gazing at the photo of the deceased tanuki on the death. But before she could investigate anything further, she felt a hand-paw grasp a firm hold of her right shoulder, catching her attention almost immediately. “Dad… I think this might have something to do with Thrandeer”, she claimed, standing onto her feet-paws even as the bunny kept her eyes fixed upon her father.

“Why do you think that, Judy?” Stu asked, curious on her claim even if he was unsettled to the fact they were standing near the deceased body of the Ishin-Mirkwood traitor.

“I'm honestly not sure…” Judy turned her head away from her father as she responded to his question. “Its just a weird feeling I have. Either he killed Iizuka himself or he sent someone to kill him. But what I don't get is why…?” the doe added, her thoughts coursing towards the reason why the killing even happened, let alone why Thrandeer had sent someone out to murder the tanuki. She began stroking her chin with her right thumb like a detective in the midst of solving the case.

But completely oblivious to the two rabbits, someone happened to be right around the corner and was on his way out of the airfield via the entrance he entered through. The same entrance Stu and Judy Hopps had came through.

“Judy, hon…” Stu began anxiously and eager to get the hell out of there, lest the authorities arrive and believe they were the ones responsible for the mammal's death. “Look, you did your detective work and whatnot, but c'mon! We gotta high tail on outta here before the authorities arrive and think we're the ones who did it”.

“We can't!” Judy exclaimed with a glare aimed directly at her father. Her voice was apparently loud enough for the mammal walking nearby to stop on his tracks, which was right at the entrance to the alley leading directly to the scene of the crime, directly towards the two rabbits. “We can't just leave the crime scene just yet! Not until we find out what exactly happened here!”

“Jude! Listen to me! We can't-”

“I'm not leaving here until we find Thrandeer Katzuma!” Judy argued, her hand-paws constantly clenching and unclenching into fists. “I already know for a fact he had something to do with this, whether it was directly or not! Not only that, but we have to find the guy and tell him about what happened to Tomoe!”

“And what do you know of Tomoe, young rabbit”, a voice from Judy's right and Stu's left immediately caused the two bunnies to turn directly towards the mammal who spoke.

Alas, their gaze up directly at the white-tailed deer standing before him. The deer himself bore mostly light brown fur with bits of black and white mixed in to create an interesting contrast. Long, silky straight blond hair flowed freely on his head and helped his dark tan antlers stand out. His hand-paws were in his jacket's pockets even as his light blue eyes looked directly at the two rabbits.

His attire was much like theirs in terms of the purpose they served. A thick, black hoodie was worn over his athletic built shoulders, with a gray colored, slim fitting thermal shirt being worn under his shirt. Because of the shirt's fit, it was enough to accentuate the athletic musculature of his body. A pair of dark sanded blue jeans were worn on his legs and fit tightly around his thighs, yet loosened to a bootcut under the knees. A pair of black open toe boots were worn on his feet-paws comfortably. Much like the dead tanuki, a pair of swords, a long katana and short wakizashi, were worn on the left side of his body, which were in proportion to his size.

The deer's presence, however, was rather peculiar. Yet they couldn't help but be curious on why he was here. Let alone who the hell this guy was?

“Um… pardon me, Mr. but…” Judy began and cocked a curious brow at the deer buck, even leaning back from the figure a little. “Who are you?” she asked, her tone filled with an abundant mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

“I am the one you are searching for, young rabbit”, the deer began, his light blue eyes gazing at both of the rabbits standing before him, standing before the scene of the crime committed by the assassin only minutes ago. “My name's-”

“Thrandeer Katzuma”, Stu interrupted. “Blonde hair and light blue eyes. Yeah, I had a feeling that's who you were after I saw those traits”, the buck claimed before lowering his head to the right slightly, his eyes training down in the same direction as well. “Jenny told me I'd recognize you the moment I saw you. I guess she was right”, that comment in particular caught the deer's attention, his eyes gazing directly at the male bunny shortly after Stu finished.

“How do you know Jenny?” Thrandeer asked, pulling his hand-paws out of his coat's pocket and placing them on his sides.

“We've… known Tomoe since we moved to Kawasabus back in summer”, Judy explained before her father could explain the entire situation. Thrandeer nodded at the doe with understanding shortly after she answered his question.

But the longer he kept his eyes on her, a feeling began growing inside of him for some unknown reason. There was something about this bunny that was familiar… yet he couldn't place his finger on it. He didn't know why. But now was not the time to linger on such thoughts, as he had to focus on the subject currently at hand.

“I see…” Thrandeer began his eyes narrowing and brows furrowing only slightly. “And what do you know of Tomoe”, the deer buck asked, his light blue eyes remaining fixed upon Judy even as she turned her head slightly away from him.

“Well you see… we barely know much about her”, Judy began, soon tilting her head upwards and letting her amethyst eyes meet Thrandeer's light blue. “But… about eight days ago, something happened to Tomoe while Dad and I were on our way back to Kawasabus”, and right after the bunny explained, Thrandeer's eyes widen and his brows arch upward with surprise. Something happening to Tomoe? And Jenny asked us to find you”, she explained, and while her voice was calm, her expression definitely depicted desperation. It was in that moment, the deer knelt in front of the rabbit and kept all eyes on her.

“Young rabbit… tell me everything”.

* * *

 

_**Tomoe's former Residence, New Otsu, several hours later** _

The sun had already begun setting in the entire Kawasabus region, including New Otsu. By then, many of the locals within the area had already returned to their homes, or like the refugees in the region's capitol, were fleeing the Kawasabus region as fast as they could. Every single one of them knew war was inevitable between the Neo-Shogunate regime, and the Neo-Imperialist extremists. They didn't know when or where it would start… but all of them knew they were running on borrowed time.

Matt and Jenny had also spent all day packing their belongings and placing them in either the trunk or the back seats of Matt's car. Even some of Tomoe's treasured belongings were packed alongside theirs, something to at least remember the vixen they had recently lost. Shortly after they finished packing, the fox went to a nearby gas station and not only put gas in his car, but also bought two of the largest gas canisters he could carry and filled them with gasoline.

With everything having been arranged as best as they could be, Matt and Jenny lay on the futon they so shared for the past couple months, holding each other in a tender embrace. Jenny's head rested on Matt's built chest even if the fox's head was resting on one of the pillows Tomoe had lent them when they first arrived. Even if they were holding one another in a comforting embrace, their expressions were somber.

Matt's upper body was covered in a black hoodie with a similarly colored, tight fitting long john shirt being worn underneath his jacket. A pair of dark green, well fitted cargo pants covered his legs, with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. His hand-paws were covered by a pair of black cloth gloves, and a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, the sleeves of his long john shirt and hoodie covering them for the most part. Lastly, his long, brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and like much of his clothing, the ponytail itself was black to complete the coloration of much of his attire.

Jenny's clothing was much similar as well, albeit with a few distinctions. For instance, while her hoodie was black like Matt's, a fox head shaped patch was attached on the left side of her chest. Underneath the tight fitting hoodie, a gray colored long john shirt covered her torso to help provide upper body heat. A pair of sanded blue, distressed jeans were worn over her legs, with a pair of black tight fitting long john bottoms being worn under her jeans for extra body warmth. Her feet-paws were covered by a pair of black and white Chuck Taylor shoes, just like how her hand-paws were completely covered by a pair of black gloves. Lastly, a pair of brown samurai tekkou bracers covered her forearms and the back of her hand-paws, yet were mostly covered by the sleeves of both her gray long john shirt and her black hoodie.

Although they were dressed and ready to go at any given time, their weapons were placed on the coffee table along with their phones. Jenny's dagger, which had ironically given Matt the second half of his cross shaped scar on his left cheek, lay vertically on the right side of the table next to her phone. Matt's katana an wakizashi lay horizontally near the back of the table, yet his phone was positioned similarly on the left side of the hilt of Matt's katana.

Jenny gently nuzzled into Matt's chest in an attempt to comfort her fox, which, although wasn't entirely sure if whether or not it work, she did look up and notice a soft, hardly noticeable half-smile on his muzzle. But it stayed only for a second before the couple heard a few loud knocks on the door. That immediately caused their ears to perk upward and the two to sit up straight on the futon, their eyes now fixed upon the direction of the front door.

“Who would be knocking on our door at this time?” Matt asked curiously, turning his body enough to where he places his feet-paws onto the floor. He was about to get up, but a bunny sized hand-paw grabbing his shoulder gently stopped him on his tracks.

“I'll take care of it”, Jenny reassured, standing up onto her feet-paws and walking towards the front door, allowing Matt to sit back onto the futon and fixing his eyes on the last photo taken of his late aunt, Tomoe. She turns the locks to the left and grabs a hold of the doorknob, twisting it counterclockwise and pulling the door open. She expected the mammal waiting outside to be either one of their neighbors, a refugee urging them to leave, or maybe some random businessmammal attempting to make a quick buck.

She did not expect Thrandeer Katzuma, the leader of the Neo-Imperialist Ishin-Mirkwood clan to be standing here before their front door. That immediately caused her eyes to widen with unexpected surprise.

“It's been a while since we last spoke to one another”, Thrandeer began softly, his hand-paws placed inside of the pockets of his hoodie. “Is Matt home at the moment?” he asked, with the bunny nodding towards him and pulling the door open for the deer buck.

“Yeah, he is”, Jenny answered and points towards the direction of the living room. Thrandeer nodded at her with a thankful gesture before entering the house, having to duck under the doorway as he entered because of his tall stature. He enters the living by turning to the left and walking along the hall, only to lay his light brown eyes on the somber fox.

“Matt… I was informed by the Hopps as to what happened up here”, Thrandeer began, his voice soft and filled with sympathy towards the fox. He lowered his head and closes his eyes half-liddedly. “I'm sorry…”

“Thrandeer…?” Matt asked, his voice soft and filled with unexpected surprise. Although his ears perked upward, his gaze never left the photo on the coffee table. Thrandeer enters the living room and took a seat on the couch opposite of the wall where the window was, which happened to be adjacent to the wall the futon Matt occupied was.

“I've found the spy…” Thrandeer began with his eyes fixed upon the depressed fox sitting on the futon. “And I've recruited a new assassin”, the deer buck added, closing his eyes shortly after mentioning him recruiting a new assassin to the fox. Alas, he recalled a recent memory that took place earlier that morning, the moment where the traitor met his end.

* * *

 

_**The Kawasabus Airfield, earlier this morning** _

_Tension filled the cold air in the nearly secluded alleys of the Kawasabus Airfield, where two lone modern samurai stand within mere yards from one another. The shiba inu had his right hand-paw gripping the hilt of his katana tightly, and the other one, a tanuki, held his drawn blade with both hand-paws. Both of them had devious grins on their face, with the tanuki being completely unaware of the other's own. One factor will decide who wins the fight, and only one will come out of this alive._

_Either Iizuka, the Ishin-Mirkwood traitor, or the mysterious assassin sent to kill him._

_All of the sudden, a loud battle cry escaped the tanuki's mouth, his eyes wide open and his mouth completely agape with his sharp canines flashing. He pulls his blade back and sprinted towards the Shiba inu with great speed. Iizuka raises his blade once he drew close to the mysterious assassin, ready for the kill that'll end his life._

_But it seems fate had other plans for the Ishin-Mirkwood traitor._

_Right as the tanuki drew close to the assassin, the Shiba suddenly twists his body to his right and unsheathed the blade, piercing his sword right through his stomach and swiftly pulling it upward through his left shoulder. An agonizing cry of pain left the tanuki's mouth even as he fell onto the snowy ground before him. Completely unaware to the traitor, Thrandeer had been watching from the alleyway on Iizuka's left. Even as his eyes gazed upon the dying tanuki, Iizuka had barely managed to pull out what appeared to be a stack of paper wrapped, golden coin currency with his left hand-paw._

“ _H…eh… find someone… to clean this up…” Iizuka hoarsely said, his voice barely audible and his thumb pressing forward the paper packaged coin currency enough to pop them out of the package. “It looks like… my luck's ran out…” and with those final words leaving his mouth in a raspy voice, he have out one last dying breath and alas, Iizuka was no more._

_Even as the tanuki had died, the assassin who butchered Iizuka sheaths his sword shortly after cleaning his blade, Thrandeer stood in the alley parallel to the one the examiner of executions had been murdered in. His eyes were stern, and gazing coldly at the tanuki's corpse, right before he had started walking away from the scene. It didn't take long for the assassin to swiftly flee the scene, his speed matching that, or perhaps surpassing the Battousai's own god-like speed. It was as if the new assassin were never there…_

* * *

 

_**Tomoe's residence, Present** _

“He's a dangerous mammal… but his skills are on par with yours”, Thrandeer explained, his eyes locked on the fox even if Matt didn't reciprocate the look. Jenny, who had opened the door when the deer buck had arrived, was now sitting next to her fox gazing directly at the clan leader himself. “He will handle assassinations from now on. However, our army still needs your skills. The Neo-Bakufu has strengthened, and the Neo-Shinsengumi are as ruthless as ever. If we do not resist now, we will all be annihilated. These are desperate times”, the deer buck urged the fox and was about to continue, but seeing the fox lower his head slightly stopped his train of thought.

“I see…” Matt replied despondently, his eyes not leaving the photo. In that moment, the deer buck knew what he had to do if he were to get through to him in his current state.

Thrandeer himself stood up onto his feet-paws and walked towards the opposite side of the coffee table where the futon was. He knelt in front of it and gazed directly at the grief-driven fox, his icy blue eyes gazing at the vulpine with a worried expression.

“Matt…” Thrandeer began, yet even if Matt's ears perked at the mentioning of his name, he didn't make any further movements. “When you returned to New Otsu from Zootopia a month ago, I had asked Tomoe to be your sheath alongside Jenny. To keep you from becoming an unrepentant killer”, when he said this, not only did Matt slightly tilt his head upward to gaze at Thrandeer, but Jenny's ears had perked upon hearing this with surprise. Since when the hell did Thrandeer ask Tomoe to serve as a sheath alongside her, Jenny wondered. More importantly, why the hell was she not informed of this?

A moment of silence soon filled the air, and Matt's lowers his head and refocuses his gaze back at the photo he was staring at earlier, his ears pressing against his skull as he began.

“If my good intentions led to this tragedy. I apologize”, Thrandeer's eyes gaze away from the fox a moment after he had given his apology to Matt, almost as if he were contemplating on telling him anything else. But even with the half-lidded, sympathetic eyes he bore on his face, Jenny knew better than to assume the deer buck came here to give him his sympathies. And as soon as he fully reopened his eyes and fixed them towards the fox, Jenny's suspicions towards him had been confirmed. “Matt, you must protect the Neo-Imperialists from the Neo-Bakufu forces as a guerrilla swordsman. I understand what you're going right now through isn't easy, and I know its cruel of me to ask you in your current state. But there's nobody else I can ask this of”, after the deer buck said this, despite keeping his eyes on the photo, Matt's ears perk upward and was prepared for whatever he had to say next. “Will you once again make your heart bloodthirsty, and wield the sword that soars the heavens?”

That last question immediately caused Jenny's ears to perk up at this, her eyes widening and her mouth slightly agape. Her hand-paws clench slightly and her but not a sound was uttered from her mouth. She was too shocked to believe what she had just heard. Thrandeer asking Matt to make his heart bloodthirsty in order to protect the Neo-Imperialists? It was completely absurd!

Yeah, she understood why Matt was needed for this upcoming war, and yes, she knew for a fact war within the Kawasabus region was Inevitable. But in the state her fox was in right now, she knew without a doubt he'd wouldn't be fighting at his full potential. But that wasn't necessarily what concerned her the most. What really got her concerned was the fact he'd be fighting as an unrepentant killer, the very thing she tried her very damn best to keep him from becoming. If that was what would become of her fox if he made his heart bloodthirsty again, she wouldn't allow it.

Not on her watch!

Her fists clench harder right as the bunny lowers her head, her brows furrowing immediately before seething her teeth in anger. She was infuriated on what Thrandeer was trying to do right now. Even if she understood his reasons, she still found it unacceptable he'd ask her fox for such a favor! Throughout her indirect connection with the Neo-Imperialist Ishin-Mirkwood clan, she often stood on the sidelines and watched the scenes unfold.

Now it was her time to take a stand on the matter at hand! And with a growl leaving her mouth, she leans her head upward and glares directly at the deer buck himself. If looks could kill, Thrandeer would be scorched from the earth!

“I can't believe you'd ask such a thing, Thrandeer!” Jenny suddenly exclaimed, immediately catching the deer buck's attention and causing him to turn and face her. Matt, however, never turned towards her, but his ears perked slightly at her direction intently. “After asking me _and_ Tomoe to act as Matt's sheath to keep him from turning into an unrepentant killer, you're asking him to make his heart bloodthirsty just to protect a bunch of Neo-Imperialists?!” the bunny exclaimed with a louder tone of voice, her fists clenching harder to the point the veins on the back of her hand-paws were slightly noticeable to the naked eye.

“Jenny, you knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. It was only a matter of time-”

“When war would inevitably break out across the entire Kawasabus Region. Believe me, I already know that better than you realize”, Jenny interrupted the deer buck since she practically knew what he already planned on saying. But that doesn't mean she didn't have a say in the matter, and believe me, this bunny had quite a bit to say before a decision could be finalized. “Look, I get the fact why you would need Matt's skills. But didn't you ever think about giving him the time he needs to recover?! Didn't you ever think he's already had enough as it _**is**_?!” the bunny exclaimed, her voice becoming louder even as the rabbit continued to speak her mind.

Thrandeer couldn't help but gaze at the rabbit with a surprised look on his face since he literally didn't expect Jenny to start going off on him like that. Yeah, he understood her reasons why, and yes, he understood why Matt would need more time to recuperate from this tragedy. However, there were more important things at hand, and he knew if he didn't get his point across right now, he knew without a doubt the entire region, no, the entire country would fall into peril. His eyes furrowed and his glare became serious almost immediately.

“I'm well aware he needs more tome to recuperate from the tragedy. But you have to understand there isn't much time left!” Thrandeer exclaimed, albeit as calmly as possible to at least keep on some sort of civil level within the household. “If Matt doesn't recuperate now, then the entire struggle would've been for-”

“Naught? Yeah, I'm well aware of that, Thrandeer!” Jenny interrupted with a fierce tone in her voice, her buck teeth bared directly at the deer buck himself. “Seriously! If you think you can come barging over here and barking out orders to Matt like he were a common dog, you're sadly mistaken!” even as she said those words, she threw her arms towards the deer buck and places them onto her hips. “Have you even considered the fact Matt's already had enough?! Have you even considered it might be time for someone else to take his place and let Matt live his life in peace?!”

“Jenny! That's enough!” Thrandeer exclaimed rather loudly, his patience already starting to run thin with the bunny. “I've said this before and I will say it again! We need Matt more than ever, and if we do not resist now, we will all be-”

“God dammit, this isn't about Matt anymore! He has a family he needs to think about now!” the words that left Jenny's mouth, even as she threw her arms towards the deer for the second time, that immediately silenced the clan leader and caused him to gaze at the bunny with a bewildered expression on his face.

“What do you mean?” Thrandeer asked, now completely confused on what she meant by her words. But before he could linger on the thought anymore, his icy blue eyes gaze directly at the slightly noticeable bump around the lower portion of her belly. Was she putting on weight all of the sudden? Why did she-

Then it clicked in an instant, and his eyes widen at this revelation! The bunny was in fact pregnant, pregnant with Matt's kits. How did he not notice this right from the beginning? No, how in the hell did Matt manage to impregnate the bunny despite him being a fox? The last question in particular constantly rang inside of the deer buck's mind, even if he was gazing at the pregnant bunny in front of him.

“How long?” Thrandeer asked, his tone genuinely curious and his eyes gazing at the rabbit in a similar manner.

“I found out I was at least eight days pregnant, well… because of this”, Jenny answered while gesturing towards her barely noticeable baby bump. But shortly after pointing it out, her eyes gazing at the deer buck in a tone filled with seriousness… and pleading? “But seriously, Thrandeer. Give Matt a little more time to recover from this tragedy… please, I beg you”, she pleaded, her hand-paws grasping one another and gesturing them pleadingly.

While the conversation had been going on between the two, Matt's mind had currently been in another state contemplating on what to do. It was an inner struggle on whether he should take a little more time to recover from the tragedy, or immediately return to Kawasabus and partake in the upcoming war as a manslayer in the open. On one end, he felt like he needed a bit more time to recover from the tragedy before he joined the war as a guerrilla swordsmammal. On the other hand, however, he knew this was coming, and knew he had to join the fight as soon as Thrandeer had arrived to give his condolences and to inform him of the news. And in that moment, he knew living a peaceful like had come to an end… at least until the war was over.

But his eyes remained fixed on the last photo Matt and Jenny had taken with Tomoe on the front deck of the yacht, more specifically towards his deceased aunt. He remembered the times he and Jenny had spent with the vixen before her accidental murder, from fishing at the lake to acquire fish for their business, to helping her at the floral business she ran when needed, even just hanging with each other in the comforts of their home. He recalled all the memories he had of her, from the best of times to the worst of moments.

When the reminiscing of memories came to an end, his eyes narrowed slightly and his brows furrow in a serious manner. It was in that moment, he had come to a decision.

“Thrandeer…” Matt began softly, but loud enough to capture the attention of both his bunny and the Ishin-Mirkwood clan leader simultaneously.

“Hm?” Thrandeer hummed softly with curiosity, noticing the serious expression he now bore on his face.

“Matt…?” Jenny asked, both curious and slightly confused on why her fox bore the serious look on him. Matt stood up onto his feet-paw and turns his head towards the deer buck.

“I will lend you my skills. My father, John Victor Wilde, was murdered by John Bellwether during the first Night Howler Experiment. My brother, Nick, was almost killed by the Neo-Yaminobu ninjas during my time in Zootopia. Then Tomoe was destroyed by the Neo-Shogunate when they used her emotions to control her… even if she were acting as a double agent”, as soon as Matt mentioned Tomoe being a double agent, that sent waves on confusion into Thrandeer himself. He was about to ask how he knew, but the fox cut him off before he could ask. “Jenny told me about it this morning. But I **will** say this: They fucked with my family for the last time, and I'm gonna make sure they pay for what they've done!”

“I see…” Thrandeer nodded with understanding along with his verbal response.

“Besides, If I abandon the sword now, then all the lives I've taken will be for nothing”, Matt claimed. “Jenny and Tomoe taught me the many small happinesses many mammals live for. So until the Neo-Shogunate falls and the happinesses of all mammals can light up the new age, I will continue to wield the sword that soars the heavens”.

“I understand”, Thrandeer replied, again nodding with understanding after Matt finished speaking. “Thank you” the deer buck added softly, his eyes fixed at the fox right as Jenny took a step towards her fox.

“Matt…” Jenny said softly, her sapphire eyes gazing towards Matt's jade green pair even as she reached for her fox. However, she stopped when the fox turned to her and gave a content nod, to non-verbally let her know this was his decision to make. He faintly, briefly smiled towards his bunny reassuringly before it was lost, losing it when turning back to face the deer buck. Jenny lowers her arm and continues to gaze towards her fox, looking deep into his eyes in an attempt to read his emotions.

When she did, she saw the fiery determination behind them along with the sense of justice. Seeing this somehow reassured the bunny, and a small, but genuine smile formed on her face. She knew without a doubt he was alright.

“But let me make something clear, Thrandeer”, Matt explained, his hand-paws clenching into fists even as he continued to speak. “Once the battles have been fought and won”.

“You'll withdraw your sword?” Thrandeer asked, and shortly after he did, the fox lowers his head enough to allow his medium-long bangs (and then some) to cover his eyes.

“To be honest with you, I'm not certain…” Matt began, uncertain if whether or not he'll actually throw away his sword once the Neo-Shogunate met its end. But there was one thing he was certain of. “But once the Neo-Shogunate is destroyed, I'll _**never**_ kill again! _**Never**_ again…” as soon as he said those words, Thrandeer and Jenny's eyes widen with surprise, yet the reasons behind them were different.

Jenny's reason behind this was the fact she knew his words were completely genuine, making a vow never to kill again once the regime collapses. And that honestly brought a noticeable, reassuring smile on her face upon this revelation.

Thrandeer, on the other hand, was surprised not only from the truth behind his words, but in which his tone had taken when he said them. He knew Matt was pained from the fact he had taken hundreds of lives. The level of it, on the other hand, was an entirely different story, and in that moment, he knew one thing for certain…

“Its just as Shinsaku feared…” Thrandeer thought inside of his mind, recalling six words Takasugi had told him shortly before the becoming of the Battousai himself.

“ _You're gonna ruin that kit's life…_ ” those were the six words Takasugi Shinsaku had warned him all those years ago… and it seemed he had been right all along.

“Except for one vacancy…” that immediately put both Thrandeer and Jenny in a state of surprise, yet Matt's words surprised Jenny more than the clan leader. One vacancy? What did he mean by that?

“One vacancy…?” Thrandeer asked curiously, despite the surprised expression he bore. Jenny's heart was pounding slightly harder in her chest, yet it was more than enough to make her nervousness apparent.

“Dawn Bellwether…” Matt answered, tilting his head upward and gazing directly at the deer buck. “She intended to use the Night Howlers not only to obtain a higher status in the Neo-Shogunate, but for personal again as well. I can't say I'm certain about this, but if my assumptions are correct, she's planning on using the Night Howlers against predators in an attempt to obtain power far worse than the Neo-Shogunate. Its most likely either she or an accomplice of hers was responsible for the attack at the New Otsu hideout”, he claimed before closing his eyes. “Even John Bellwether intended to stop his sister and attempted to carry out his plan”, the fox continued, reopening his eyes and looking back at the clan leader sitting on the couch. “However…”

“It was on the same night you killed him, am I right?” Thrandeer guessed, which caught both Matt and Jenny by surprise. But nevertheless, he nodded towards him before continuing.

“Yes”, Matt replied, before turning his gaze away from Thrandeer and looking at the floor. “Even with that vacancy, I'm not sure if whether or not I'll be able to carry it out…”

“Because of the possibility of reverting back to an animal slayer?” Jenny took a guess in where Matt was going with this, and was confirmed when he nodded at her a couple times.

“Yes…” Matt responded shortly before lowering his head to the point his bangs covered his eyes, the fox standing idle for what seemed to be the longest minute of his life. But when a pair of bunny sized hand-paws gently cupped Matt's right, he lifts his head up a bit and turns his gaze directly towards Jenny, who was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face.

“Matt…” Jenny began, moving closer towards her fox and removing her hand-paws from Matt's right before wrapping her arms around his muscular built torso. “Are you completely sure about this? Going back to Kawasabus to fight?” she asked, her eyes locked with his Jade green pair. Matt closed his eyes for only a moment before giving her a nod, reopening them and cupping her left cheek with his right hand-paw.

“I'm positive”, Matt answered honestly, his voice soft yet confident. “Listen, Jen, I know you don't want me involved in the war yet. But Thrandeer's right, my skills are needed and I have to do whatever I can to protect the weak and innocent from the Neo-Shogunate armies. But even if I were to go to war as I am now… will you follow me?” he asked, keeping his eyes fixed upon hers and looking into her sapphire orbs. She was silent for a moment, but with a nod, she came up with her answer.

“Until the end… my love”, after Jenny had answered, she tip toes up towards her fox and plants a soft, loving kiss on his lips, with Matt cupping her other cheek and reciprocating the kiss. It lasted for a brief four seconds, but when they broke the kiss, they gaze at each other's eyes and gave one another a soft, genuinely reassuring smile.

The moment didn't last much longer when their ears flickered to the sound of Thrandeer standing up from the couch and footsteps moving directly towards the door, their gazes shifting at the deer buck almost immediately. When the clan leader stepped in front of the door, he grabs the doorknob and turns towards the interspecies couple, nodding at the two before opening the door.

“I will see you both in Kawasabus tonight”, and right after Thrandeer spoke those words, he passed through the door and closed it behind him, leaving the two lovers within the confines of their own home.

Parked on the street in front of the driveway was a lone, dark gray colored limo along with a chauffeur standing in front of the passenger door on the driver's side. The chauffeur himself was a slender built, black spotted jaguar standing roughly about the same height as Thrandeer himself. A white dress shirt covered his torso in a slim fit and was worn underneath a black dress coat and tie. The top of his head was covered by a black Chauffeurs cap and fit him comfortably. The feline's legs were covered in a pair of black slacks, which fit him well enough to accentuate his slender, yet athletic built legs. His eyes glistened a green color much similar to Matt's, yet bore a slight distinction enough to where they resembled emeralds compared to jades. Lastly, his nose was a pink color and, to an extent, popped out thanks to the dark colors of his fur.

As soon as the Jaguar noticed the deer buck, he pulls the handle of his limo upward and opens the passenger door, gesturing his right hand-paw towards the limo interior.

“After you, Mr. Katzuma”, the jaguar bowed slightly as he greeted the deer buck with a Venezuelan accent, the Neo-Imperialist clan leader giving the predator a courteous nod shortly after and began walking into the limo.

“Thank you, Manchas”, Thrandeer replied before entering the limo, the chauffeur closing the passenger door shortly after he entered.

As the jaguar walked towards the limo and entered the driver's side, Thrandeer himself was lost in his own thoughts, thoughts regarding Matt himself. Its been four years since he'd met and recruited him into the Ishin-Mirkwood training grounds in Kawasabus, three and a half years since Matt's first kill, and nearly three years since he's been given the infamous name, Battousai the Animal Slayer, amongst other similar names.

But even as the driver turned the ignition on and began driving towards the Kawasabus capitol, he started to recall Takasugi's warning on how he would end up ruining Matt's life by turning him into a hitokiri. If he honestly took the warning into account, then perhaps he wouldn't have made him into a hitokiri and instead have Matt be apart of the Neo-Kiheitai alongside Takasugi. Much pain would've also been avoided right from the start, and he wouldn't have made Matt do the one thing he would never have done…

“Matt… I made you betray your beliefs. That is unforgivable of me”, Thrandeer thought within his mind, remembering everything that happened within the four years, the most prominent ones being both Takasugi's warning and the becoming of the Battousai, which inevitably ended up ruining Matt's life and taking away his innocence. “The sword of Hiten Mitsurugi should only be used to defend the new era, not destroy the old one… I was wrong, Matt…” with that last thought coursing his mind, the deer buck tilts his head up a bit and turns towards the front, his eyes gazing at the windshield and directly towards the direction where Kawasabus lies.

* * *

 

With Thrandeer having left the facility, both Matt and Jenny were currently holding each other in a tender, loving embrace. Matt's head rested on top of Jenny's with his eyes closed, with the bunny's head resting against her fox's chest in a similar manner. They remained in the embrace for at least five minutes, allowing them to find solace within the comforts of holding each other. However, both of them knew they couldn't linger for much longer, and night fall would soon come upon the Kawasabus region, and they needed to leave soon if they were to get to Kawasabus on time.

Matt soon reopened his eyes half-liddedly and gazed directly at the two gas canisters placed next to the staircase, staring at them for roughly ten seconds before pulling away from the embrace. His eyes gaze towards Jenny's face as she reopened her own, both sapphire and jade looking into one another before Matt cups her right cheek with his left hand-paw.

“Jen, go wait in the car for me”, Matt said softly to his lover while placing his right hand-paw inside of his corresponding cargo pants pocket, grabbing his car keys from them and handing them to the bunny. “I need to take care of something”, and right afterwards, the bunny looked directly at her fox as he started walking towards the gas canisters. At first, she didn't know why, but a moment later, it clicked and gave the fox an understanding nod, right before grabbing the photo from the coffee table and walking towards the front door.

“I'll go get the car started, Matt”, Jenny responded right as she walked out the front door, the fox giving her a nod even as he grabbed one of the gas canisters, popping the cap off of the canister itself. He walked to the top of the stairs and into Tomoe's room, where he began splashing gas across the walls and quickly started trailing the gasoline into the second floor hallway, and into the other rooms upstairs.

While Matt was doing this, Jenny unlocked the doors to her fox's midnight black Dodge Challenger and enters the vehicle from the passenger's side. She inserts the car key into the ignition and turns it forward, getting the car started and turning the heater on shortly after starting the vehicle. And as the heater began heating the car, the bunny opened the glove box and placed the framed photo inside.

It was shortly after she placed the photo into the glove box was when became lost in her thoughts. She was lost in thoughts about everything that's happened in the past couple of months, both good and bad. From meeting Matt, the Idekaya District incident, to becoming his mate, losing Tomoe, and now having to prepare to head back to Kawasabus to partake in the ongoing chaos.

But one question constantly coursed her mind. Will they get out of this alive… or will they die in the midst of chaos?

Her train of thought was interrupted when her ears perked up and towards her left. She turns her head in the same direction and spotted Matt exiting the house, seeing him throwing the now emptied second gas canister towards the right side of the front yard. The fox also grabbed a zippo lighter from his left hoodie pocket and flicks the top open before throwing it into the open front door behind him. The flickering flame from the lighter ignited the flammable liquid that thoroughly soaked the house, and it didn't take long for the interior to set ablaze. But it was the fire that caught Jenny's attention, but the expression her fox bore.

The expression on Matt's face was almost unreadable, but his furrowed brows and stern, but neutral eyes said otherwise. No longer were Matt's jade green eyes filled with depression, but with a renewed thirst for battle. Not necessarily filled with the intention to shed blood, but with a genuine desire to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. This expression, despite being surprised by this at first glance, brought a soft, genuine smile on the rabbit's face. She knew her fox was ready to fight in the growing chaos that plagued Kawasabus.

Matt grabs the handle on the driver's side door and pulls it open, entering the vehicle and taking a seat next to his mate, the rabbit watching him pull both his katana and wakizashi recently equipped on his left side and placing them on the floorboard on the passenger's side. It was then, he looks into her sapphire eyes once again and gave an affirming nod.

“Its time to go”, Matt said softly to his bunny before turning towards the front, his eyes gazing directly on the road and pressing on the gas pedal. The car accelerates from the now burning home that once belonged to Tomoe, the home he and Jenny once stayed in order to live a relatively peaceful life.

But the peaceful times have come and passed, and no longer can Matt or Jenny linger within New Otsu. No longer can they remain home and grow crops from their garden, nor use the yacht to fish in their now defunct fishing business. Not until the growing chaos in Kawasabus has been extinguished from the town and in the region as a whole.

In the growing sunset, the raging fire continued to burn the house into collapse, leaving all remaining contents within the house to burn to ash. And as the house continued to burn, the fox and rabbit drive off towards Kawasabus into the slowly descending night.

Driving off into the beginning of an inevitable war.


	29. The Kawasabus War Begins! Matt Wilde Vs. The Wolf of Mibu!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, it looks like I managed to get this one out quicker than I thought, albeit its a shorter chapter as well. However, its been quite a good while since I've drawn battle scenes (since I often make them short in a sense). But despite this, I hope you enjoy the next installment!

_ **The Kawasabus War Begins! Matt Wilde Vs. The Wolf of Mibu** _

  


Kawasabus, a region within the northern/central part of the state of Ohio, and known by the inhabitants for the Neo-Shogunate regime it bore within the region. While a rural region, the number of mammals residing within the region had been great. The townsfolk residing within the entire region farmers, modern samurai, or clan members residing either on the Neo-Shogunate regime or the Neo-Imperialist extremists.

And as of tonight, Kawasabus has reached the pinnacle of chaos, and all hell was literally breaking loose all across the entire region. The starting point: the town of Kawasabus itself, the rural city in which the entire region is named after. Fires were set ablaze across the town and explosives were going off in the busier parts of the rural city. Gunfire can be heard throughout parts of the town even as the fires continue to rage onward, with many of the residents and even some of the Neo-Imperialist extremist fleeing the scene of the ongoing battle.

Not even the Neo-Imperialists or the civilians aligned to them were strong enough to hold back he first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi, whom were slaying everybody who resisted them without mercy. Many of them were currently in pursue of those involved or suspected to be involved in the affairs of the Neo-Imperialist clans.

Including both Judy Hopps and her father, Stu Hopps.

Now that the two rabbits were mentioned, both Hopps were currently in the midst of fleeing from the Neo-Shinsengumi squadrons and heading towards their truck near the other side of town. If they didn't have to take care of any last minute business within the busiest district in town, the two rabbits would've had their truck parked closer to them, and they would've been out of the region and immediately on their way back to Bunnyburrow.

Shortly after finding Thrandeer and telling him what happened in New Otsu earlier this morning, the two immediately went to the office to turn in the keys they had belonging to their temporary home here along with taking care of the necessary paperwork. Unfortunately, because many of the mammals were in the midst of getting the hell out of there, along with their own negligence to take care of the paperwork because of the search for Thrandeer, they ended up getting stuck in lines lasting so long, they were literally stuck in line throughout the entire day.

To make matters worse, by the time they managed to turn in their key and take care of the required paperwork, all hell broke loose within the town to the point buildings were set ablaze, blood painted the streets, and the Neo-Shogunate forces were attacking the Neo-Imperialists and anybody who opposed them. Hell, it even got to the point where they attacked anybody who got in their way, regardless of who they were.

On a more positive note, however, at least they (more or less Judy in this case) were better prepared for the harsh, cold weather outside.

Instead of the thin, black, slim fitting hoodie she wore this morning, she now wore a midnight blue hoodie that was much thicker in material, and was worn over her dark lavender colored thermal shirt. Het legs were still covered by a pair of tight fitting, sanded blue jeans and accentuated the curvature of her hips. This time, however, she wore a pair of black tight fitting long john pants underneath her jeans for extra warmth. Her ankles were still covered by a pair of black binds, which not only were the leg openings of her jeans tucked into them, but they gave an appearance much similar to open toe combat boots. Her hand-paws were still covered by the same cloth lavender gloves, accompanied by a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers being worn on top of them.

Stu's clothing were practically the same ones he wore this morning. His torso was again covered by a thick, brown jacket with a gray sweater being worn underneath his coat. His legs, once again, were covered by a pair of black corduroy pants, and the thick material that made them kept his legs from freezing in the bitter cold that took over the region. This time, however, his feet-paws were covered in a pair of black open toe boots much similar to his daughter's, albeit thicker and made of leather. However, he still wore a pair of black cloth gloves that were neither too thick nor too thin, just enough to keep them warm and mobile.

As Stu and Judy turn into the left alleyway with numerous civilians and unarmed Neo-Imperialists, they continue to sprint away from the first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi. At first, it looked like they managed to get away from the Neo-Shogunate forces. But as Judy looked behind her, however, she spotted the Neo-Shinsengumi turning into the alley and gradually catching up with them. She saw how their eyes looked on their faces, bloodthirsty and filled with a sense of justice, righteous or not, the way they flew the red Neo-Shogunate flag, and how their right hand-paws were gripped on the hilt of their katanas. Her eyes widen and a loud gasp leaves her mouth, right before turning towards the front and attempting to increase the pace of her running.

“This way, I've found them!” one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, particularly a black and white furred timber wolf, shouted loudly enough to catch the attention of the fleeing civilians and the Neo-Imperialists alike. Stu turned his head towards the right and looked behind him, his already panicked eyes widening at the sight of the oncoming forces approaching them. He quickly turns his head towards the front and continued sprinting away from the approaching armies, despite his panting breaths becoming heavier.

“The extremists are over here!” another Neo-Shinsengumi member, another timber wolf with brown, gray, and white fur shouted loudly, even as many of the troops drew their swords from their sheaths, pointing their blades directly at their targets in front of them.

“Over here! This way!”

“Hurry!”

“C'mon, they're over here!”

Many of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, wolves, foxes, and even the occasional husky exclaimed these words even as they rush towards their targets, some of their hand-paws grabbing the hilt of their swords and some of them gripping the handles of their flashlights or lamps.

“Halt! In the name of the Kawasabus Neo-Shogunate!!!”, another voice from one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, this one a black and gray furred timber wolf.

Stu attempted to increase the pace of his sprinting in order to catch up with his daughter, since she was already nearly several yards in front of him. But right as he slightly sped up the pace, he suddenly slips on an unnoticeable sheet of ice and lands face first. His cry of pain immediately stopped Judy on her tracks and instantly turns towards her father.

“Dad!” Judy exclaimed with a gasp right before rushing towards her father's side, immediately kneeling down and attempting to help her father back up onto his feet-paws. Although the force of the impact was painful, Stu was lucky he only got a bloodied nose instead of a broken nose and possible broken buck teeth. “Are you alright?!” she exclaimed, completely unaware with the fact the black and gray furred wolf belonging to the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi was about to attack. Stu looks to his daughter and was about to answer, but the corner of his right eye captures the sight of the wolf's raised blade and immediately gasps with shock. Not only was he terrified at the wolf's drawn blade, but with who the intended target was!

“Judy, WATCH OUT!” Stu shouted right before grabbing his daughter and pushing her out of harm's way, even if he collapsed a second time after pushing her out of the way. Judy once again turns towards her father and immediately realized the danger he was now in, her amethyst eyes widening in horror as the wolf swung his blade downward directly at her father.

“DAD!” Judy shouted and attempted to sprint towards her father, but a pair of arms similar to her size wrapped around her and stopped her from progressing, much to her dismay. She was struggling in the mammal's arms and was about to kick the person. But as soon as amethyst met sapphire, her eyes widened as soon as she realized who it was.

Stu immediately got onto his knees and crouched, shielding his head with his arms and closing his eyes. He waited for the wolf's blade to strike him down and death to claim him.

Alas, the hand of death never came, nor did the wolf's blade strike him down as the wolf intended.

Instead, an agonizing cry left the wolf's muzzle right as he was struck down by nearly two dozen sweeps of another mammal's blade, all a mixture of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal alike. Blood immediately painted the walls of the surrounding buildings along with the partially ice covered brick floor. Slowly but surely, Stu reopened his eyes and looked up at the mammal who had saved him. As soon as he laid eyes on the brown haired, orange, cream, and auburn fox in front of him, his eyes widened with shock.

Matt Wilde, a fox no less, had miraculously saved his life.

The old buck noticed Matt's upper body was covered in a black hoodie with a similarly colored, tight fitting long john shirt being worn underneath his jacket. His legs had been covered by a pair of dark green, well fitted cargo pants, with the leg openings being tucked into his black open toe combat boots. The reynard's hand-paws were covered by a pair of black cloth gloves, and a pair of similarly colored samurai tekkou bracers covered his forearms and the back of his hand-paws, much of which were covered by his long john shirt and hoodie. His long, brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and like much of his clothing, the ponytail itself was black to complete the coloration of much of his attire. But what caught Stu's eyes the most was the purple silk scarf that once belonged to his late aunt, Tomoe.

Gripped in his right hand-paw was his twenty six inch blade lengthed katana, which was now stained with the wolf's blood. But completely unknown to the buck, Matt was glaring directly at the Neo-Shinsengumi standing about ten yards in front of him. And as he kept his eyes fixed upon them, he raised his freshly blood stained sword with the sharp edge pointing directly at the Neo-Shinsengumi

“Leave them alone”, Matt warned, his brows furrowed and his jade green eyes glaring directly at the wolf with black and white fur on his body.

“Who the hell are you?” the black and white furred timber wolf asked, yet the stern look was never erased from the fox's face.

“I'm only gonna give you one chance to withdraw. Either go back the way you came…” Matt ordered, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening slightly, along with both his brows furrowing and eyes slightly narrowing. But even the slightest furrow of his brows and the slightest narrow of his eyes made a BIG difference in the way his gaze pierced the others. “Or die” shortly after the fox said those words, the wolf narrowed his own eyes and took a closer glance at him. But as soon as he saw a couple distinguishing factors on the fox, his eyes widen with shock and he, along with many others, began to tremble with fear.

“H-holy shit…” the black and white furred wolf muttered, his voice trembling and his jaw quivering with fear.

“Brown hair… a cross shaped scar on the left cheek…!” another Neo-Shinsengumi member muttered in fright, this one being a brown, black, and light gray furred wolf. “He can't be…”

“Dammit! It's the Battousai!”

“Matt Wilde!”

Even as the words left his mouth, many of the Neo-Shinsengumi troops were already trembling in fear, many of them even starting to take a few steps away from the Battousai. Even in his presence, however, none of them heeded Matt's warning and remained where they stood. Whether they feared the assassin or not, fleeing the scene would go against an old samurai motto that became the one true sense of justice amongst the modern samurai in Kawasabus.

Aku Soku Zan! Meaning 'Swift Death to Evil' or more commonly translated as 'Slay Evil Immediately'. It was the one true justice shared between both the Neo-Shinsengumi and modern day manslayers alike. It was also the motto the original Shinsengumi and other manslayers, shogunate and imperialist alike, followed during the Bakumatsu period.

Even as the Neo-Shinsengumi remain where they are, Matt turns his head to the left and gazes directly at Judy, whom was no longer held back in Jenny's arms and now resided next to her father. He gazed at the rabbit looking at her father and asking if he was alright. And in that moment, he knew what he had to do… even if it was abhorred. The tod closed his eyes and grabs a hold of his wakizashi by its sheath, pulling it off of his his belt and keeping a firm grip on the fox-sized weapon.

“Judy…” Matt began, causing the gray furred bunny's ears to perk upward and turn her attention at the fox. “You're going to need this”, while the words left his mouth, the fox pulls his wakizashi back a bit and throws the sheathed weapon towards her, with Judy managing to catch the weapon with both arms at the last second. The weight of the weapon was honestly not surprising in the least since it was meant to be carried by a fox. But what surprised the hell out of her was the fact not only was the blade length of the wakizashi sixteen inches long, but the hilt was somewhere around six inches in length.

Yet as she held the weapon in the midst of chaos, everything suddenly clicked and her eyes immediately widened at what he was implying.

“W-whoa, hold on a second, Matt!” Judy was about to refuse and throw the fox-sized wakizashi back to Matt even as the words came out of her mouth, but the tod raised his left hand-paw upward and silenced whatever words prepared to come out of the bunny's mouth.

“Listen to me carefully, because I'm only gonna say this once”, the tone in which Matt said those words immediately caught the Judy off guard. As calm as they were, his words were stern on a level the rabbit couldn't comprehend. “I'm giving you my wakizashi because its your last chance to get out of here alive with your father. And if you wanna get out of this god forsaken place, you have no choice but to get your hand-paws stained with blood”, as soon as that left his mouth, Judy suddenly gasped with shock, her mouth agape, and her eyes were wide open. She was about to reply, but again, the fox held his left hand-paw up and prevented her from speaking. “Listen, I understand your reluctance on the matter. Believe me, believe me, I was like that when Thrandeer gave me the proposition four years ago. But in order to get out of Kawasabus alive, you're gonna have to slay every mammal you cross that tries to kill either one of you without hesitation”, the fox explained, right before pausing briefly enough to let a calm sigh leave his mouth. “I'm sorry, Judy… but that's the inevitable truth”, he added, right before turning his head back towards the Neo-Shinsengumi and narrows his eyes at them.

“Matt…” Judy spoke softly, lowering her arms even as her grip remained firm on the weapon in her possession. But before she could say anything else, her ears perk at the sound of footsteps heading towards their direction. She turns her head towards the Neo-Shinsengumi and spotted the source of the noise.

Alas, she, along with Matt, spotted a folf with light gray and white fur, with black fur on his forearms and forelegs, both of which were covered by a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers and black open toe combat boots respectively. His eyes glistened a brown color and his hair matched the color of his eyes. With the exception of his bangs, the folf's hair was tied back in a high ponytail, much similar to how most samurai had their hair tied back. He was roughly about a foot taller than Matt, yet the difference in height didn't bother the Battousai one bit.

Matt narrows his eyes at the folf as if he were discerning his features. It didn't take him long to recognize who he actually was.

“Lieutenant?” one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members, brown, black, and white furred timber wolf asked upon seeing the folf step forth

“I've found you at last, Battousai. I was beginning to think I'd have to hunt you down myself, but it looks like you saved me the hassle by coming out into the open”, the folf said with a soft smirk plastered on his face, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes half-lidded even as he grabs the hilt of his katana and drew his blade out of its sheath.

“I could say the same to you, Okita Soji, leader of the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi”, Matt replied, his tone calm, yet his expression was cold and determined to the core.

Both men kept their eyes locked on one another and their blades drawn, none of them making a single movement. Curiosity and anxiety began to fill the ongoing stillness between one another, everyone waiting to see who would be the first to attack. It was almost starting to become excruciating to say the least! Will the leader of the first squadron of the Neo-Shinsengumi be the first to strike, or the Neo-Imperialist assassin? Nobody was certain.

The question was soon answered the instant Okita started dashing towards the fox with his weapon raised upward, his eyes widening slightly and the smirk removed from his muzzle. He strikes the fox with a vertical sweep, but the Battousai blocks the attack swiftly with a loud ' _ **CLINK**_ ', the fox's blade tilted perpendicularly in order to properly block it. Matt seizes the opportunity to push Okita back in an attempt to attack. However, the Neo-Shinsengumi leader quickly counters by thrusting the blade in front of him. Alas the attempt failed when Matt easily evaded the attack by jumping nearly eight yards backwards with a back flip.

As soon as the assassin landed on his feet, the fox rushes towards the folf with his blade pulled back. He performs a diagonal sweep an attempt to slay his opponent, but Okita was swift enough to block the attack with little effort. Okita's left hand-paw pressed against the back of his own blade to add more than enough force to push the fox backwards. Again, he immediately sought the opportunity to strike his opponent with another thrust. But because of Matt's lightning speed, he dodges the attack without a single effort.

But that didn't stop the leader of the first Neo-Shinsengumi squadron from continuing his feeble attempts.

As the battle between Matt Wilde and Okita Soji continued to progress, the Neo-Shinsengumi, along with Judy, Stu, and Jenny watched the entire fight with their very eyes. Both parties had to admit both warriors had an incomprehensible level of swordsmanship, both almost seeming to be on par with one another. The Neo-Shinsengumi, while silently rooting for their leader to win the fight, had to admit Matt was much better than they had expected. Jenny, Stu, and Judy, while rooting for Matt to win the battle, also admitted Okita was much better than they had expected as well.

Now the only remaining question now is who would be the winner of the battle. Will it be Matt? Or Okita?

But their thoughts were lost as soon as they heard a loud ' _ **SHIIIIING**_ ' sound caused by Okita's blade sliding against Matt's raised own. Okita attempted to thrust his blade at the assassin a moment ago, but the fox easily blocked it with his blade raised, thus causing the back of Okita's blade to slide against the sharp end of Matt's own.

Yet right after his failed attempt to strike the assassin down, the folf suddenly started coughing almost violently to the point blood started spattering out of his muzzle. That immediately sent questions coursing through the minds of all witnesses within the area. Why was Okita coughing up blood all of the sudden? And was it because of the force behind Matt's defense? Or something else.

The questions continued to form in everyone's minds, yet as they kept staring at the folf, Jenny's eyes widen slightly and immediately recognizes the symptoms.

“Tuberculosis…” Jenny uttered softly, but both Judy and Stu's ears perk at this and instantly turn towards her. “He has tuberculosis”, the bunny repeated right after turning her attention towards the other two rabbits. But before she could continue, Okita's panting breaths catch their attention and notice how the corners of his mouth were dripping in blood.

“That's enough, Okita, you can't beat him in the condition you're in”, a voice from one of the Neo-Shinsengumi members immediately caught everyone's attention, with both Okita and Matt turning towards the one who suddenly spoke up.

As soon as they laid eyes upon a familiar arctic wolf, the eyes of many widen with surprise, with the exception of both Matt and Okita. The arctic wolf's fur was as white as snow, and his long hair as black as the feathers of a raven. While almost all of his hair was tied back in a high ponytail, four antennae-like forelock bangs can be seen in front of the wolf's face, and did nothing to hide the narrow, piercing eyes that matched the color of flames.

The eyes of the Wolves of Mibu. The same, piercing eyes that were glaring directly at the ill folf himself.

“But Saito! I-”

“Its fruitless”, Saito interrupted the folf before he could continue, the arctic wolf walking towards the assassin even as he continued. “You wouldn't stand ghost of a chance against someone who smells of so much blood, Okita”.

Even as the wolf continued to walk towards the assassin, Matt turns his body directly at the wolf and gazes directly at Saito closely. His eyes watch the wolf getting into his stance by dropping into a partial crouch, both knees bent, left arm drawn back and right arm extended forward. The wolf grasps the end portion of the hilt of his sword with his left hand and rests the tips of the fingers of his right hand-paw on the blade near the blades tip.

As soon as the wolf got into this stance, Matt's eyes narrow only the slightest, but immediately recognized what it was.

“Gatotsu… another variant of the Hirazuki technique”, Matt thought within his mind even as the vulpine flicks the blade of his sword to remove the excess blood off of it prior to putting the sword back into its sheath. “I've heard rumors about the technique, but I've never been up against it until now…” the fox continued, right before the vulpine got into his battojutsu stance, gripping the weapon's hilt with his right hand-paw. “If I am to get out of this alive, I should tread with caution”, and there was no lie to his thoughts, because right after his train of thought ended, he caught the wolf smirking directly at him maliciously.

Whatever Saito had in hand, it wasn't going to be good.

“Have at you, Battousai”, as soon as those words left the wolf's mouth, Saito immediately darts towards the vulpine with great speed and thrusts his sword directly at the fox. Matt, however, quickly unsheathes his blade and blocks the attack with a diagonal slash, knocking the wolf's blade back before jumping nearly several yards away from his opponent.

But even if the fox blocked the wolf's attack, that didn't stop Saito from sprinting directly towards Matt at a speed matching the Battousai's. It also didn't stop Matt from dashing directly towards the wolf and attempted to strike him down with a vertical sweep. Alas, Saito quickly blocks the attack and knocks the fox back with a strong enough sweep, but the fox quickly recovered with a back flip and rushes back to the wolf.

In that moment, the wolf immediately got into his Gatotsu stance and thrusts the blade towards Matt. But the attempt to strike the fox failed once again when Matt knocks his blade to his right with a wight diagonal sweep. Yer despite the fact Matt blocked the attack, that didn't stop the wolf from immediately raising blade and swiftly striking the fox with a vertical attack. But just as the blade was about to connect with Matt's body, the fox swiftly blocks Saito's blade with his own, with Matt's blade being perpendicular with the wolf's own blade. Matt used his left hand-paw to hold the back of the blade in an attempt to strengthen his defense, which was fortunately enough to keep the wolf's sword at bay.

But a hint of a smirk soon formed on his face, and it seems he still has another trick up his sleeve!

The fox started growling with his sharp fangs bared and the muscles on his left arm started to bulge a bit, with veins bulging noticeably on his forearm and bicep respectively. He quickly releases his grip on the back of his sword and clenched his left hand-paw into a fist. It was in that moment Matt punches the back of his sword with enough force to knock Saito's blade off of his own and knocking the wolf himself back a good couple of yards,

Both parties gasped audibly and the Neo-Shinsengumi began chattering amongst one another, but Judy and Stu were watching the entire battle with their eyes wide and mouths slightly agape. Yes, both of them saw Matt fight before eight days prior, with Judy having a slightly bit more knowledge on Matt's caliber. Yet as Stu was watching the ongoing battle, his brows lower and his mouth partially closes, almost as if he were trying to discern the sword technique he was using.

It was a deadly sword technique, yet it looked… familiar?

Judy, however, while shocked about the level of skill Matt had, was gazing directly at the wolf he was fighting. Her eyes not only were filled with shock (and perhaps a bit of terror), but eyes filled with recognition. It was as if she knew saw him somewhere before, yet she couldn't put her finger on it… at least not until she got a brief, but clear glance at the wolf when Matt had blocked another vertical sweep with his sword.

And in that instant, she recognized who the wolf was!

With Stu becoming lost in his thoughts, Jenny continued watching the entire battle with a calm look on her face, a calmness that brought confidence within herself. She knew without a doubt her fox would be able to win this fight, or at the very least get out of it alive if whatever reason the battle went south. A soft, hardly noticeable, yet genuine smile formed on her face even as she continued to watch her fox fight one of the Wolves of Mibu.

But even as things were looking up in the ongoing battle, that didn't necessarily lessen the risk of Judy or Stu being killed in Kawasabus.

It was in that moment, Jenny turns her gaze away from the fight and shifts her attention directly towards the other rabbits. Her brows furrowed and gazed directly at the Hopps with a stern expression occupying her face.

“Stu, Judy, the first and third squadrons of the Neo-Shinsengumi are currently distracted with the ongoing battle”, Jenny began, her tone calm, yet bore a serious urgency within it. Her tone of voice was more than enough to catch their attention, with Stu taken out of his thoughts and Judy shifted her gaze from the wolf to her friend. “Use this chance to get out of here while you still can. This is your last chance to get out of Kawasabus alive”, right after she said that, the Hopps' eyes widen and turn their gaze towards one another, as if her suggestion was as mad as a March hare!

“Are you crazy?!” Stu turns his sights back towards Jenny right after he exclaimed those words, grabbing the sides of his head and shaking it several times. “If we leave now, the Neo-Shinsengumi will kill us! Even if we somehow manage to get out of this god forsaken town, the other squadrons are bound to kill us on sight!” he threw his arms forward right after he finished, but the English-born bunny's eyes narrow at him with a fierce glare. She sure as hell wasn't gonna take this for an answer, even with their lives at stake.

“That's why Matt gave y'all the wakizashi so the two of you would have a chance to get out of Kawasabus alive, even if it means you have to shed blood in order to ensure your escape!” Jenny shot back, her tone fierce and urgent. But even the ferocity of her words were not enough to hinder the fear rising within the Hopps patriarch.

“Are you insane?!” as Stu shouted those words, he threw his arms towards the female doe ecstatically. “We can't just go around killing mammals even if it's to increase our chances of getting out of this god forsaken place alive!”

“If you'd listened to us the first time we've warned you and headed back to Bunnyburrow, then none of this would've happened in the first place!” Jenny argued with a raised voice. “We've told you multiple times to get out of here, and you didn't listen until the entire city plunged into absolute chaos!”

“We didn't think the entire town would start breaking out in an all out war zone! We didn't know Kawasabus was being ruled under a Neo-Shogunate regime! And if we knew about this beforehand, Judy and I would've never-” Stu was practically shouting those words right before hearing the battle cries of both Matt and Saito, snapping their attention away from one another and shifting it directly towards the two. And it was then they saw Matt blocking a series of sweep and thrust attacks with his blade, albeit was starting to struggle on keeping them at bay.

“Would you guys cut the chit chat already and get the hell out of here?! I'm starting to have a hard time keeping the Mibu Wolves at bay!” Matt yelled towards the group, more specifically towards the Hopps. Although Matt's gaze never left Saito, the fox's attention was pointing directly at the group behind him. “Jenny's right, Stu! If y'all listened to us in the first place, y'all wouldn't be caught in the situation you're in right now!” even as the fox continued to speak, he manages to counter Saito's downward thrusts and knocks the wolf back a few paces, allowing Matt to regain his stance and turn his head towards them, his jade green eyes having turned a golden yellow during the duration of the battle. “Stop arguing with Jenny and take the chance to get out of here!” after the fox urged the Hopps to get out of here, he turns his attention back towards Saito just in time to catch and block another downwards thrust with a diagonal sweep.

Even as the battle raged on, Judy and Jenny turn directly towards Stu and glared at the male rabbit.

“He's right! If we're gonna get out of here alive, we have to take the chance while we still can!” Judy urged her father, her expression stern and her brows furrowed at the male buck. Stu's eyes were wide even as they were looking back and forth between Jenny and his daughter. He contemplated for a moment on whether or not they should heed Matt and Jenny's warning and take the chance to flee now, or find a refuge to take place until the chaos recedes enough for them to escape without issue.

But even if he wanted the latter option, there was no lie in Matt and Jenny's warning. If they wanted to get out of here alive, they have to take the chance now and get out of here alive… even if it meant they have to take lives and face the consequences of their actions later in order to succeed. In that moment, Stu had come to a decision on what they have to do. With a heavy sigh, he turns towards Jenny and gave a nod towards the doe.

“Alright… we'll take the chance”, Stu replied right before he turned towards his daughter, his expression understandably uneasy given the current circumstances. “I don't like this one bit, Jude. I'd much rather find a place to hide long enough for the whole thing to blow over, and I'd rather not take lives even if it increases our chances getting out of here… but if we stay here any longer, I'm afraid our chances of survival will crumble like an avalanche”, even as the Hopps patriarch said those words, Judy nodded in agreement and had unknowingly placed the wakizashi through her belt on the left side of her body. The buck turns back to face Jenny before taking a step towards her. “Are you coming with us?” Jenny's ears perked at this question only for a moment before they became droopy. Her eyes closed and the English-born doe shook her head.

“No…” Jenny reopened her eyes a moment after she had answered the buck. “My place is here with Matt. Its my job to keep him alive no matter the cost… and my job as his sheath to keep him from becoming an unrepentant killer”, she explained right as she turns her gaze towards her mate, whom continued to clash against the leader of the third Neo-Shinsengumi squadron. She did turn back towards the Hopps before giving them a soft smile.

In that particular moment, she quickly wraps her arms around the two rabbits in a tight hug, shutting her eyes even as she held them in an embrace. The hug lasted only for five prolonged seconds before she removed her arms from them, her eyes reopening and gazing at the two bunnies with a glossy look in them. Even in the midst of the growing chaos, she gave the Hopps a very soft, but genuine smile on her face.

“I appreciate everything you two did for me over the past months. However…” Jenny paused, her right hand-paw moving to grab a hold of the rabbit sized katana she had got shortly after she and Matt had arrived to Kawasabus earlier this evening. With the hilt clutched tightly in her grip, she pulled the sword out of its sheath before turning towards the other Neo-Shinsengumi members. “You need to get out of here while you still can! This is your last chance to get out of here alive!” even as her blade was drawn, the other members of the Neo-Shinsengumi, aside from Okita, immediately turn towards the bunny after she drew her blade. “I'll hold off the others and buy you some time to escape!” right after those words left the doe's mouth, Stu's eyes widen right before he attempted to approach her, as if to try and change her mind one more time.

“But Jenny-”

“Get going!” Jenny interrupted the buck a bit too harshly with the tone she said them, but it was necessary if she had to get her point across.

Immediately after the doe said those words, Judy grabs a hold of her father's right arm and starts dashing away from the battle and continuing their own journey towards the their truck located in one of the neighboring districts in the town.

For a moment, while Matt was blocking numerous attacks from Saito's Gatotsu technique, the fox turns his head back enough to spot the Hopps hastily fleeing the scene. And with that, a soft smirk formed on his face.

“Good, now that the Hopps are hightailing it out of here…” Matt paused the thought coursing his mind only brief enough to widen the smirk plastered on his muzzle. “I don't have to hold back anymore”, and with that said, the fox immediately started striking the wolf's blade enough to push the Wolf of Mibu back a few steps, allowing him enough room to put the vulpine on the offense.

The Neo-Shinsengumi immediately noticed the rabbits fleeing the scene and began dashing towards them hastily.

“Hey, get back here!”

“You won't escape from the Neo-Shinsengumi!”

Shortly after those words left the mouths of two Neo-Shinsengumi wolves, Jenny immediately dashed in front of the two with her blade drawn. Her sapphire eyes gaze directly at the first and third squadrons with a piercing glare, burning with a fire many samurai within the entire region possessed. She may be a bunny fighting against a group of wolves, let alone pregnant, but she sure as hell had no intention of letting them pass her so easily.

“If you think you're gonna pass through this bunny so easily, you're sadly mistaken”, Jenny said to the wolves with a voice filled with malice, a tone not even her fox had heard her speak with before. “Your fight's with me!”

If Kawasabus wasn't in an all out war between Neo-Shogunates and Neo-Imperialists, the Neo-Shinsengumi would be laughing hysterically at the rabbit. But given the current circumstances, that never happened! No, nearly a dozen of them narrow their eyes at the bunny with a deathly glare and immediately dash towards her with their blades raised and ready to strike her down.

Oh, if they only realized sooner that would be the biggest mistake they'd ever make in their lives… and how fatal that decision truly was.

Before the Neo-Shinsengumi who dashed towards the bunny could comprehend what was going on, their bodies were hastily slain by the rabbit's blade and their blood quickly painted the walls and ground a crimson red. They weren't as fast as Matt's own attacks, but they were more than enough to eliminate the Neo-Shinsengumi samurai who attempted to slay the bunny. For those who witnessed the deadly killing, they immediately started to tremble with fear and began stepping away from the rabbit.

“Impossible! S-she's almost as fast the Battousai!”

“Probably just as fast!”

“Handling the Battousai is one thing, but fighting a second is an entirely different story!”

“There's no way she's on par with the Battousai! There's no way!”

There was honestly no lie in some of the words the Neo-Shinsengumi were uttering out of their now terrified mouths. While she wasn't as fast as Matt nor necessarily on par with the assassin, she did learn the basics (and then some) of Matt's Hiten Mitsurugi sword technique within their two month stay in New Otsu, from the day after their arrival up to the seventeenth of December. Even when they were busy with their temporarily defunct business and attending school during that time, they still managed to put aside some time for Matt to train Jenny in swordsmanship just in case.

And it was a good thing Matt trained her, too, or otherwise Jenny would've most likely died or suffered serious injuries at the very least. Even with just the basics and a bit extra, along with the beginning of her pregnancy, she was still able to hold her own without a single issue.

Speaking of holding her own, Jenny raised her katana towards the others and gave a light smirk towards those who remained.

“Who's next?” almost immediately after Jenny asked that question in particular, most of the Neo-Shinsengumi scream in terror and immediately fled the scene. For the very few who had the cojones to remain, they immediately declined out of terror and stood on the sidelines to watch the ongoing fight. Seeing this brought a satisfied smirk on the rabbits face even as she flicked the blade clean of the blood and pulled a white cloth from her left pocket. “I thought so”, she added even as she used the cloth to clean the blade thoroughly with one wipe, thus placing her sword back into its sheath and continues watching the ongoing fight between Matt and Saito.

Speaking of both Saito and Matt, both swordsman were on even ground in terms of both strength, swordsmanship, and agility. Not a single scratch was seen on both of them despite the deadly caliber behind their attacks. But even as the battle progressed, along with their swords continuing to clash against one another with numerous ' _ **CLINK**_ ' and ' _ **CLANK**_ ' noises, their energy began to diminish. It would seem their endurance and will to fight would be the deciding factor on who will win the fight…

… or that would've been the case if several explosions didn't suddenly start going off with loud ' _ **BA-CHOOM**_ ' noises unexpectedly within the area! Matt and Saito ceased what they were doing and immediately started dashing away from one another, with the fox quickly sheathing his sword and scooping up his mate bridal style. And it was a damn good thing they did, too! If they hadn't done that, they would've been caught in one of the two explosions that went off right near the spot they once fought at.

A raging fire now occupied the spot Matt and Saito once fought at and burned everything within its path, bodies and all, with both warriors standing a safe distance away from the flames. But even if that were the case, the eyes of both Matt and Saito stared at one another narrowly with furrowed brows.

“Today's your lucky day, Battousai”, Saito thought within his mind even as he started baring his fangs directly at the fox. “The next time our swords cross paths, you won't be so fortunate”, and with that last part of his thought coursing his mind, the wolf, along with the remainder of the Neo-Shinsengumi, immediately flee the scene and journey through other parts of the burning rural city.

Even after the Neo-Shinsengumi left the place where they held their battle, Matt continued to gaze at the direction Saito once stood, as if the Wolf of Mibu were still there. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his golden yellow colored 'manslayer' eyes slowly return to their normal jade green color. However, his narrowed eyes open fully before turning towards the pregnant bunny in his arms.

“We should go”, Jenny suggested in which Matt responded towards his bunny with a calm nod.

“Right”, Matt agreed with the bunny right before turning his back against the scene where the battle previously took place, with the raging fire continuing to burn through sections of the alleyway. “We gotta scout the remainder of the city and meet with the rest of the Neo-Imperialists soldiers”, right as the fox finished, the reynard secures his grip on his mate carefully and started fleeing the scene, his brows furrowed and keeping his senses sharp.

As Matt continued to sprint away from the scene with the bunny in his arms, Jenny wraps her arms around her fox's neck and rested her head against the head. Her sapphire eyes gaze briefly up at her fox, seeing the tod return his gaze towards her with a gentle smile before refocusing his attention on the path ahead of him. She smiled in content knowing she was safe in the arms of her fox, and closes her eyes shortly afterwards to allow herself to rest a bit.

As of right now, no longer can they worry about the Hopps anymore, but the current situation at hand. Matt had given them the chance they'll need to escape the region, but whether or not it was enough, he didn't know.

Completely oblivious to him, however, giving them the wakizashi would give the Hopps a much better chance of escape than he'd anticipated… but with results that were much deadlier than he realized…


	30. Escape from Kawasabus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I am so sorry for the wait on the next chapter, you guys! I've been on somewhat of a writers block during the making of this chapter in terms of how it'd play out, especially with Battle scenes. However, I managed to get the chapter done recently, and I'm hoping you guys enjoy the next installment of Zootopia X.
> 
> (Also, I may possibly be looking for an editor to help make these chapters look more polished. If anybody is willing to act as an editor, feel free to contact me)

_ **Escape from Kawasabus** _

  


“Get going!”

Immediately after those words left Jenny's mouth, Judy Hopps grabbed a hold of her father's right arm and starts dashing away from the ongoing battle, continuing their own journey towards the their truck located in one of the neighboring districts in the town.

Even in the darkness of night, the flames that continued to spread all across the entire region like an epidemic brightened the dark alleys like dimly lit candles. It wasn't much, but they had to make due with what was provided. They were often tempted to take the main alleys in order to get to the neighboring district faster, but alas, they decided against it after hearing explosives and gunfire coming from that particular direction.

They knew it would take longer to reach the truck, their means of escape, but it lessened the chances of running into the Neo-Shinsengumi or any other Neo-Shogunate armies or extremists. All they can hope for now is to get out of this god forsaken region before they themselves were slain.

Whether fortunate or not, at least Matt was able to provide the Hopps some sort of weapon they can use to fight back with in case they were to somehow run into the Neo-Shogunate forces. Matt's sixteen inch blade lengthed wakizashi had proven to be a bit heavy, and because of her two and a half foot height, merely felt like a katana. With her left hand-paw clutching the sheath of the short sword and resting her thumb on the guard, she was prepared to draw the weapon at any given moment if necessary.

Several minutes have passed and despite the rapid gunfire, the cries of dying residents and soldiers alike, and the raging flame that continued to burn the large rural town, they hadn't run into another member of the Neo-Shogunate army or extremists aligned to them. And after passing through numerous alleys undetected, Judy's amethyst eyes capture the faint sight of a bridge leading towards a shallow river in the woods. Alas, she found a way to cross towards the district they needed to go and tightens her grip on her father's arm.

“C'mon! I found a bridge we can cross!” Judy exclaimed right as she starts dashing towards the woods leading to the bridge, the woods working not only as a source of camouflage, but as an improvised shortcut to get to their destination quicker!

It didn't take too long for them to course through the woods like a marathon race, thanks to the faint moonlight illuminating the passageway for the two rabbits. They quickly cross and immediately rush towards the wooden bridge that connected the two districts together! Following the dirt trail leading to the bridge, they quickly make it to the wooden surface and began dashing through the overpass quickly.

But from the corner of Judy's right eye, she caught the sight of somebody rushing through the shallow watered river towards their direction with their left hand-paw gripping the sheath of their katana. That was when she stopped dead on her tracks and started gazing at the mammal.

The mammal in question happened to be a male arctic wolf with white fur and long, wavy brown hair mostly tied back in a high ponytail. His attire consisted of a black tight fitting shirt worn underneath a blue and white Neo-Shinsengumi montsuki haori jacket (most likely for extra warmth). The tight fitting black shirt accentuated the strong definition of his muscles to the point his abs and chest could be seen. The shirt was ticked into a pair of khaki hakama pants, which were baggy in fit and had the leg openings tucked into his black open toe combat boots. His forearms and the back of his hand-paws were covered in a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers, and no gloves covered his hand-paws underneath the tekkou bracers. His eyes appeared to be a dark blue color, but the wolf was moving too fast for the rabbit to decipher.

But it seems he wasn't alone.

Roughly several yards away from him, three other Neo-Shinsengumi members were rushing towards them, two of them timber wolves and the other a black and white malamute. Their clothes were exactly identical to the wolf's clothing, except for the malamute's hakama pants being a black color instead of the usual khaki color. Unlike the arctic wolf, the others wore a pair of thermal gloves underneath their samurai tekkou bracers to keep their fingers warm.

Their brows were furrowed sternly and their eyes were narrow with a fierce glare. Their eyes were filled with a deadly, righteous intention to kill, and they were fixed directly upon the brown haired arctic wolf. Why would members of the Neo-Shinsengumi be inclined to kill one of their own?

Whatever the reason, the bunny remained still and her eyes fixed upon the scene in the shallow river. She couldn't move for some reason… she felt as if some unknown force told her to, no, forced her to remain still and witness the scene that was about to unfold.

And as soon as she and her father saw the timber wolves and malamute unsheathe their katanas, they knew without a doubt this was about to turn for the worst.

“That sword of yours which hungers for the blood of other Mammals is a disgrace to the name of Neo-Shinsengumi, Jin-E”, one of the timber wolf Neo-Shinsengumi members suddenly said with an oddly vicious, strangely justified growl in his voice.

“You shall repent with your life!” and right after the malamute growled those words, the three canines suddenly start rushing towards the lone arctic wolf with their blades raised.

But completely unaware to the rabbits, a sinister grin began to form on the arctic wolf's, no, Jin-E's muzzle. It seems he, too, had plans of his own!

Even as the Hopps remained still to witness the battle unfold, many thoughts began coursing the doe's mind. Thoughts of how this town, no, the entire region plunged itself to such chaos. Thoughts on why the hell they didn't heed Matt and Jenny's warning up until now, why they didn't realize the severity of the situation. But while these thoughts coursed her panicked mind, one in particular stuck out the most.

The thoughts concerning the leader of the third Neo-Shinsengumi squadron: Saito Hajime.

There was something familiar about the wolf, yet she cannot discern the reason why she somehow knew the wolf from somewhere. She recognized the narrow eyes on his face, and how those eyes matched the yellow-orange flames currently burning the city. She saw those eyes somewhere before, just barely over two months ago at the very most. Is it possible he was one of the wolves who-

“Jude, we've gotta go, now!”

And there goes her train of thought! But nonetheless, she snapped out of her trance and looked towards her frantic looking father, whom had his right hand-paw gripping her left arm and started dragging her away. She was about to respond, but was interrupted when she heard an agonizing cry from one of the wolves following a loud ' _ **CLING**_ ' from a sword clashing against another. She turned her head towards the bridge she was now fleeing from, and even caught a brief glimpse of another Neo-Shinsengumi wolf being slain by the mad, brown haired wolf.

But right after she saw that, she immediately turned her head away from the bridge with wide eyes and started sprinting along the path, continuing towards their destination as fast as they could muster. She didn't know if any of the Neo-Shinsengumi members fighting against the rough manslayer, or Jin-E if her hearing was correct, had survived or not. But honestly, she didn't care, nor did she want to be around the area much longer in case he decided to come after them.

Luckily for them, Jin-E never followed them, much to their relief. One less obstacle to worry about. But now was the matter of the current whereabouts of the Neo-Shinsengumi, or more importantly, if any of them were currently lurking about waiting to kill them on sight. That thought alone drove the two to continue increasing the pace of their running despite their heavily panting breaths. It was a good thing they were breathing out of their mouths at this point.

Otherwise if they hadn't, they'd be smelling the strong aroma of death and smoke around the district they were now passing through. The corners of their eyes noticed the bodies of numerous bodies, many of them killed by what appeared to be gunfire, some by melee weapons (Japanese swords in particular), and several others continuously burning within the raging fires in the district.

Their ears easily picked up the increasing volume in agonizing cries, gunfire of all sorts, and the occasional explosion going off. Not even the faintest, crisp sound of burning fire was muted from their strong, sensitive hearing. As much as they wanted to try and help the others in the town, they had to rely in themselves until they arrived to the sanctuary of their truck, even if they were reluctant to leave the others to fend for themselves.

But they had to do it if they wanted to get out of here alive.

As they reach the busier, or rather chaotic, parts in the district, the eyes of the Hopps immediately widen with terror at the sight they now behold. Buildings were set ablaze, many local residents were dying trying to flee, fight against the Neo-Shogunate forces, or even caught in the raging fires burning the district. They stopped dead in their tracks and frantically started looking around the terrain for a way out of the hell they now bestowed upon. Alas, to their luck, they notice an alley just to their left.

The lights within the alley were nonfunctional, so they couldn't tell who'd be coming out of the alley at this time. Not even the faintest sound could be heard in the midst of all this chaos around them, so close to the position they occupied.

But this was their only chance, and it was now or never!

“There they are!”

That immediately caught the attention of both bunnies! They immediately turn to their right and notice several Neo-Shinsengumi, four of them wolves, one a Siberian husky, and the last two being silver foxes. Three of the wolves blades were drawn along with one of the silver foxes. The husky, second silver fox, and the fourth wolf carried lanterns on them for light, and the group of seven immediately start rushing towards the terrified rabbits.

Without hesitation, both Judy and Stu Hopps immediately turn to the dark alley and started dashing through the streets as fast as possible. Their breaths became ragged even as they entered the dark alley, their minds focused on getting the hell away from their new pursuers, just as they thought they had gotten away from them. The end of the alley didn't seem too far, however, since they saw the light from the fire near the end Just several more meters and they would reach their destination.

But her father's agonizing cries stopped the doe right as she reached the exit, immediately turning around and noticing one of the timber wolves raising her father with his left hand-paw. A sinister grin was plastered on the lupine's face, one revealing a set of white, sharp canines that were barely noticeable in the lanterns' lighting. But the most distinguishing trait were the eyes on the wolf.

The same, orange-yellow eyes matching the colors of the wreathing flames burning across the entire rural city…

“Wow, I've gotta hand it to ya, bunny! You're much faster than we've expected from you”, the wolf with the flaming eyes merely chuckled with a devious grin as he said those words to Stu, whom was lifted by the wolf himself. “But not fast enough”, as he said those words, he tossed the buck to the silver fox carrying one of the lanterns. The fox merely smirked and drops the lantern onto the ground before wrapping them around the buck's own, thus locking him in place and keeping an iron grip on the rabbit.

“Dad!” Judy suddenly exclaimed and immediately started sprinting towards her father. She didn't make it far, because right as she closed half of the distance between where she once stood and the fox who held her father captive, one of the timber wolf immediately sprints at the doe and kicks her in the stomach with enough force to knock her back several feet. Despite the pain she now felt om her stomach, Judy quickly recovers and prepared to sprint towards her attacker, much to Stu's dismay.

“Judy, Don't!” by the time Stu shouted those words, the doe was already sprinting towards her attacker.

But she didn't get too far, however, because the Siberian husky manages to grab a hold of the bunny by wrapping his arms around her torso and locking his grip onto her. While her arms were free, she couldn't do much aside from jerk her arms and legs around. She even attempted to remove the husky's arms off her, but his grip was iron! She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

“Well lookie here, if it ain't that bunny Ken's been dating!” the Siberian husky Neo-Shinsengumi member exclaimed with a rather devious grin plastered on his face, even as he retained his iron grip on the doe. But even as she continued to struggle in his grip, she couldn't help but immediately look upward at the husky who mentioned Ken's name. “Man, he sure knew how to pick 'em! Quite the looker, for a bunny”, that immediately caused the bunny to struggle harder with as much strength as she could muster, much to the point she was literally trying to yank her arms off his iron grip.

“Get off me, you bastard!” Judy suddenly shouted with a sound that sounded much similar to a growl. The husky merely grinned at the doe with his fangs flashing, yet was soon replaced with a pained expression when Judy lifted her feet up and kicked him just above the groins. It was just enough for the husky to release his iron grip from the bunny and allowing the doe to create some distance between her and the Neo-Shinsengumi.

She watched the others drawing their blades and turning to face each other, aside from the flame eyed wolf along with another. She was about to grab the hilt of the fox-sized wakizashi before her ears perked towards the husky's direction upon hearing the devious chuckles leaving his mouth. When she laid eyes on the husky, her eyes widen upon seeing a sinister grin on his face.

“Whew! Ho boy! She's a feisty one alright. I'll give her that”, even as the husky claimed that with a grin, it faltered into a frown and furrowed his brows, his eyes gazed directly at the doe. “But it ain't enough for her to get away with that!”

Immediately after those words left his mouth, he charged directly at the doe with his sword raised. Four other mammals followed him shortly after he darted after the bunny just the same, yet the flame eyed wolf and one of the silver foxes kept their positions. Their eyes were currently set on Stu, and they had other plans they needed to tend to.

However, the buck manages to kick the silver fox's right leg hard enough to knock him off balance and free himself from his grip. Stu immediately started dashing a few meters away from them before turning back to face the two.

“If you want your prey that badly, you're gonna gave to earn it!” Stu raised his now clenched fists upward and narrowed his eyes directly at the two predators. His eyes narrowed at the two right as he noticed them raising their blades and preparing to attack.

His heart was pounding hard, and he was definitely more than terrified on the inside. But that doesn't mean he wasn't gonna go down without a fight!

While the flame eyed wolf and the second silver fox were fighting against Stu, Judy was currently in the midst of dodging numerous attacks the remaining members of the group. The five mammals attacking her were swift in their attacks, but the doe was just slightly faster than the motions of their attacks. Only slightly.

But one wrong move on her part could prove fatal. And that mistake happened to be the instant Judy accidentally tripped over one of the glass bottles on the ground, thus hitting the ground on her right side. Luckily for her, she recuperated quick enough to draw the fox sized wakizashi and block the husky's attack with it. As for the others, however, she wasn't able to block those. However, she managed to roll out of the way and regain her footing rather quickly.

With her stance regained, the doe raises her fox-sized wakizashi upward while gripping the hilt with both hand-paws. Her amethyst eyes remain locked with the five canines in front of her, the wakizashi raised and prepared to defend herself if necessary.

But she couldn't stop her arms from shaking, even if it was only the slightest. Yes, she had to do whatever she could to defend herself, but in a kill or be killed situation, it was honestly scary. Horrifying even. If only she knew of a way she could try to incapacitate them without having to take their lives.

“Ha! This bunny thinks she can try to fight us with that damn thing!”

“How absurd!”

“How _cute_ ” the last word leaving one of the wolves' mouths caused the doe's eyes to widen and her ears to perk up at the remark. But her eyes soon narrow and her brows crease downward furiously. She was about to make the first attack when the silver fox decided to speak up.

“She won't be able to defeat us! Not even Ken was strong enough to withstand against us! Not even his competent swordsmanship was enough to stop us, nor from preventing his execution by the leader of the third Neo-Shinsengumi himself!”

That remark in particular immediately stopped her from enacting on her plans to attack, and her eyes widen and brows raise with shock. Her mouth became ajar and an audible gasp left the doe. The bunny leaned her head forward and merely gazed upon the ground in shock, almost as if she were literally punched in the gut. She could not believe the words that came out of their mouths, the way they talked about her late boyfriend like that!

How dare they?!

Her brows immediately furrowed and her eyes widen with pure, undiluted anger! Her amethyst pupils shrunk to almost three times their original size. She gritted her teeth as growls (or the closest thing to them) began leaving her mouth lowly. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her fox-sized wakizashi and her arms no longer shook from fear. She immediately raised her head and her mouth immediately opened wide agape. And with her mouth wide open, a loud, shriek of undiluted rage left her mouth, but a loud explosion nearby blocked the shriek enough to where Stu, the flame eyed wolf, and the second silver fox couldn't hear what was going on.

Before the three wolves, husky, and silver fox could comprehend what happened, two of the wolves found themselves being slaughtered by the bunny's wakizashi at a speed they couldn't comprehend. She was exploding with rage, and her speed was literally on par with the Battousai's own! Faster even! The three of the five Neo-Shinsengumi members surrounding the bunny started rushing towards the doe. But before they could attempt a single attack, their bodies were immediately slain and both the walls and floor were painted crimson.

Shortly before the five mammals whom went after Judy were slain, Stu was doing his part in staying alive by dodging the wolf and silver fox's attacks all together. It was difficult to say the least, almost to the point the task grew impossible. However, despite having sustained a couple of nicks on his arms, along with getting a few punches on the two himself, he was doing a decent job at keeping himself alive for the most part. However, he accidentally steps on a glass bottle nearby and trips backwards, thus landing onto his back rather painfully, much to the delight of the others.

With the buck down on the ground, the two mammals approach the fallen bunny with grins plastered on their faces. They grip the hilts of their blades with both hand-paws and raise their swords upward, preparing for the final kill, much to the buck's horror.

But the loud cries of pain from their five comrades before their deaths were more than enough to interrupt them from their actions. They immediately cease what they were doing and look directly towards the direction where the cries came from. Neither the flame eyed wolf nor the second silver fox were prepared for the bloody scene they now witnessed, nor did they expect the assailant to be the female doe carrying the wakizashi. Not even Stu, whom leaned up to see what it was that now shook the two surviving Neo-Shinsengumi members, expected to see his own daughter bathed in the blood of the five mammals she had just slain.

In that moment, their priorities were shifted from the rabbit buck to the doe immediately, their eyes narrowed and their brows creasing downward with a deathly glare. They snarled at the doe carrying the partially bloodstained fox-sized wakizashi, the blood that belonged to their now dead comrades in arms.

Not only were they furious about the deaths of their comrades in arms, but they were made aware of one thing!

“Ugh! Looks like we've underestimated her!” the silver fox growled shortly before pointing his katana at the doe and began sprinting towards her swiftly. “You shall pay for what you've-GAH!” he wasn't able to finish what he was trying to say, because by the time he drew close enough, the female rabbit pierced the wakizashi right through the vulpine's skull without a single drop of hesitation.

Judy's eyes narrow at the now dead vulpine and twisted her blade ninety degrees counterclockwise, right before the bunny literally severs the blade right through the left side of his head. The body of the silver fox collapsed onto the ground below a fresh corpse, and the surrounding soil painted crimson. Alas, her eyes now shift at the direction of the surviving member of the Neo-Shinsengumi, whose gaze never left the bunny, nor did his stance falter a single bit.

“So it seems you're a much more competent swordsmaiden than we've expected”, the flame eyed wolf raised his blade and tightened his grip on the hilt even as the words left his mouth, his eyes filling with rage and his brows furrowing with fury. “But if you think it'll be enough to stop me, you're sadly mistaken!” those final words left with a growl right before he started sprinting at the gray furred doe.

But this would prove to be a costly mistake on the wolf's part.

Before he could seize the chance to strike the bunny with his raised blade, the doe leaps up to his chest at a speed close to god-like and swiftly pierced the wakizashi right through his chest. The wolf's eyes widen with shock and agony before rolling up to the back of his head, The doe pulled the blade out of his chest before grabbing his shirt and pulling herself upward. Even as she jumped towards her father, the body of the flame eyed wolf collapsed onto his back and his blood painted the ground a crimson red.

Stu honestly could not believe what he had just witnessed. He literally just watched his daughter slay all seven of the Neo-Shinsengumi like they were nothing, completely unaware of what truly caused his own flesh and blood to commit murder. His eyes were wide, his mouth agape, and his arms were trembling from fear. He couldn't decipher if it were the fact she committed the murderous act… or if it were the aura her narrowed amethyst eyes gave off.

If he weren't in a town which had gone to utter shit, he would've fainted right then and there…

“We have to go”, the tone behind Judy's words were unusually calm, chilling even. But nonetheless, her words were sharp enough to snap the buck out of his shocked stupor. He rapidly shook his head a few times before refocusing his attention back to the doe, who knelt down next to one of the bodies and used their shirt to wipe the wakizashi clean of the fresh blood. “The parking garage shouldn't be too far from here”, she continued, right before the bunny stood up onto her feet-paws and sheathed her blade. She turned to her father and retained the stern, narrow eyed look on her face. “If we're lucky enough, we might not run into anymore of them”, it was after that claim she grabbed the sheath of the wakizashi and started sprinting towards the end of the alleyway.

It only took the old buck a moment for him to register what was going on before immediately sprinting towards his daughter, regardless of his growing weariness. He didn't care of his lungs or body had been hurting from all the running and dodging. All he cared about was getting the hell out of there with his daughter…

…even if it meant having to resort doing the very thing they abhorred.

Alas, shortly after he and his daughter fled the alleyway and into the chaotic streets, both rabbits were met with a large army of Neo-Shinsengumi heading right towards them head on. Their blades were drawn and ready for battle, and Stu's eyes immediately widen at the sheer number of them. It was in that moment both Judy and her father come to an immediate stop.

“You have got to be joking!” Stu suddenly shouted, the terror evident in his voice. “There has to be dozens of them! Over a hundred even!” the buck frantically exclaimed with shock, much to the point his body started to shake with terror. Could this be it for them, he wondered? Or will they somehow get lucky enough to get out of this situation alive.

“Leave them all to me”, Judy replied with a rather cold, unusually calm tone in her voice. She leaned her upper body forward only the slightest and pressed her thumb against the guard of the wakizashi. Stu glared at his daughter with a terrified look on his expression at first… but given the current circumstances, he understood and immediately rushed towards the sidewalk and hid behind one of crates displayed outside (albeit reluctantly).

Judy's eyes narrow at the approaching Neo-Shinsengumi army, her eyes moving left and right as if she were making a headcount on how many were in the army. It took roughly forty five seconds to make a head count, but she discovered a hundred consisted in the army. It was going to be difficult getting passed them, but that wasn't gonna stop her from trying.

She had to for the sake of herself, her father, her family. And most importantly, for Ken…

The doe grabbed the hilt of her weapon and drew the wakizashi from its sheath, right before sprinting towards the army with her gaze locked on them. The Neo-Shinsengumi immediately followed suit and rushed in the bunny's direction with the intention to slay the doe. Now, it was kill, or be killed!

Many of the Neo-Shinsengumi members attempted to strike her down with vertical or diagonal sweeps of their blades, but not only did the bunny dodge them effortlessly, but she immediately slaughtered them through various means. Some of them were beheaded, some suffering lacerations to the throat, the blade being pierced through their skulls, or even through their chests.

Agonizing cries filled the sky and blood immediately started to paint the streets a crimson red with each mammal Judy kills with the fox-sized wakizashi, regardless if they were the smallest prey to the biggest predator. Speaking of prey, even if her facial expression didn't show it, she admittedly was surprised to see several prey (bunnies and hares included) being involved with the Neo-Shinsengumi. But nevertheless, she continued to slay one mammal after another and dodged their attacks whenever needed.

To say the least, not a single mammal in the Neo-Shinsengumi army gave the doe the slightest injury thanks to her agility. Many of them were either slain in battle, or slain during their feeble attempts to flee the scene of battle. Her attacks were swift and merciless, quick and agonizing! Not a single member of the Neo-Shinsengumi army she and her father encountered would be getting out of this alive. Not one!

Several minutes pass rather quickly, and by the time the allotted time passed, the army she and her father encountered lay dead on the ground. Much of her clothes and parts of her face were covered in the blood of the mammals she's killed by far. Blood dripped down to the sharp end of the blade and dripped onto a small puddle forming directly under the tip of the wakizashi. Judy's eyes scout the area thoroughly for a good minute before turning back towards her father, who's eyes were gazing at his daughter with pure, undiluted shock.

Her father was not just shocked by what her daughter had once again did, but with her rather unusual deadly mastery with a sword, let alone a fox-sized wakizashi. One question immediately coursed his mind: How the hell did his daughter go from being an optimistic bunny who wants to become a police officer in the future, to becoming a ferocious bloodthirsty manslayer within less than half an hour?

“We should get going”, Judy suddenly said calmly, turning her back towards her father before raising the wakizashi up and flicking the blood off the blade. “The parking garage is about twenty blocks from here. If we leave now, it'll lessen our chances of running into anymore of them”, and right after she said that, the bunny immediately started dashing along the road, not bothering to place the wakizashi back in its sheath. Stu stood there for only a brief moment before he started following his daughter, not wanting to stick around any longer at the risk of being discovered at the bloody scene.

But completely unaware to the two, someone with a pair of eyes as red as blood had been watching them from within the shadows…

As Judy and Stu continued to tread along the path set towards the parking garage, their eyes scout the area for anybody who stood in their way. Yes, they've seen members of the Neo-Shinsengumi and other Neo-Shogunate forces within the area, but they were preoccupied fighting the Neo-Imperialists and extremists sided amongst them, much to their convenience.

And it didn't take long for them to spot the logo of the Parking Garage, which was roughly just a few more blocks up ahead. A small, but very real smile started to form on Stu's face. Alas, they could finally escape this hell. Even in the midst of this chaos, they were able to find the smallest form of solace within the hell they continued to escape.

Yet Judy's stern expression didn't falter one bit, not even for relief. Even if she saw the large sign depicting the Parking Garage logo, she knew neither one of them shouldn't let their guard down, and within reason, too. Getting there was only half of it, and escaping from this hellish region was the other. So until they were out of this god forsaken place and out of reach from the Neo-Shogunate forces, she couldn't let her guard down, even if only for a moment.

And it was a good thing she didn't lower her guard one bit, because up ahead, a large army of what appeared to be well over a hundred mammals residing within the Neo-Shinsengumi army. Stu's smile faltered and his eyes widened with fear at the sight of them. Like the previous army before them, their blades were drawn and heading directly towards the two rabbits. Parental instinct took over, and the male buck grabbed his daughter's arm and tried to drag her to an alternative path to the parking garage.

But that plan was cast aside when Judy yanked her arm off her father's grip and started dashing towards the army with her right hand-paw tightly clutching the hilt of her weapon. Her eyes were fixed upon the approaching army and her brows remained furrowed. She leaned her upper body forward in an attempt to increase the speed of her sprinting. She wanted to put an end to these bastards once and for all. She wanted them dead…

…to be bathed in their blood.

And that's what she was about to get! Because as soon as she was within a yard from the army, she hopped directly towards one of the mammals, an Alaskan Malamute to be precise, and slaughtered the mammal by beheading the predator with her blade. But she didn't stop there! Hell no! Even with the corpse of the Malamute falling onto the ground, she hastily started slaying numerous mammals one by one through a variation of attacks. Many were killed by the blade piercing their heart, others through their foreheads to the back of their skulls, and in some cases for smaller sized mammals, literally hacked to nothing but a pile of body parts.

To say the least, the agonizing cries of the Neo-Shinsengumi immediately started filling the battlefield Judy occupied.

Even as she was slaying them one by one, Stu stood there wide eyed and mouth agape in pure shock and terror. He literally couldn't, no, still couldn't believe it, even if he saw his own daughter taking numerous lives for the third time, regardless if whether or not her intentions were good. It was honestly repulsive, almost to the point he could potentially start vomiting. If he weren't focused on getting the hell out of there, he honestly would've vomited right then and there.

The battle did not last much longer, however, because by the time Stu broke from his trance, the agonizing cries had been silenced and the army of over a hundred had single handedly been slain by his own daughter. His eyes scouted the area and, once again, was completely bewildered at the freshly gory, bloodied scene before him. Severed body parts lay on the ground in pools of blood, and the bodies of everyone in the army (whom haven't been severed to pieces) lay dead on the ground with pools of crimson leaking from the wounds that caused their deaths.

“Two hundred and fifty mammals…” Judy's hushed words suddenly snapped the buck out of his trance and caused the older rabbit to face his daughter. But right as be did, Judy had finished cleaning the wakizashi by using one of the deceased soldier's shirts to remove the blood from the blade. She sheathed the weapon before turning to face her father. “We should evacuate now while the other solders in the area are distracted”, the doe suddenly said towards her father even as she gazed directly at him.

Yet he didn't pay attention to the words that left her mouth, but instead paid close attention to his daughter's eyes with a look that was borderline shocking and terrifying. No longer did her eyes shine with their amethyst beauty, but a fierce, golden yellow color. He recognized those eyes anywhere!

Not only were they the same eyes Matt bore when he fought and slain Tatsumi. They were the eyes of a Manslayer.

“We're only a couple blocks away from the parking garage. If we leave now, we should be able to get there unseen and escape Kawasabus with little to no trouble”, Judy's unusually calm words once again snapped Stu out of his trance. Despite seeing her eyes being a different color, he nodded with understanding before his daughter turned at the direction where their destination lied.

Judy didn't hesitate to sprint towards the direction of the parking garage, with her body slightly leaning forward and her left hand-paw gripping the top portion of the wakizashi's sheath. Stu quickly followed his daughter, despite having to run passed the bloodied scene in which the battle had taken place. It was sicking to witness such a bloody scene, let alone run through one.

But the important thing is the fact they were literally just a couple blocks from the parking garage, which, despite it suffering from a bit of damage from the ongoing war-driven riot, was relatively intact. The sooner they get out of this hellhole, the better chance they have for getting the hell out of there! The cries of battle and pain, and the terrifying screams from the ongoing chaos gradually began to decline, which meant either the Neo-Shogunates or the Neo-Imperialists had won this battle.

Neither one of them cared, though, because the two rabbits soon arrived to the large entrance leading to the basement level parking lot. Both of them were relieved to finally arrive to the entrance and dash down the ramp into the basement level. Stu's eyes were wide and began to well up with tears. Judy, however, while the faintest hint of a relieve smile can be seen, she kept her stern look to hide her relief. She wanted to feel relief just like her father, but now was not the time nor the place to feel such emotion.

* * *

 

As soon as they entered the basement level, Judy and Stu's eyes gaze directly towards their family truck with the Hopps Family Farm logo plastered on both the passenger and driver's side door. Attached to the back of the truck was a U-Howl truck that was about double the length of the truck, but one and a half times taller in height. The trailer itself was thoroughly secured with thick, silver chains and locked tightly to ensure it wouldn't detach during their escape.

Stu quickly started patting himself down for the keys on the way to the truck and pulls them out of his jacket pockets. He slides the key into the truck and immediately unlocked it, thus allowing him to quickly pull the door open and step into the truck.

“C'mon, Jude! We gotta skedaddle!” Stu hastily said those words all while he quickly stuck the key into the ignition and turned it forward. Both the engine and the headlights flickered with life, the engine roaring and the lights shining brightly in front of the vehicle. Judy was rushing towards the other side and ready to get the hell out of here with her father.

But she stopped dead on her tracks by the time he was within a couple feet away from the front of the truck. Her ears caught the faintest sound of rapidly approaching footsteps heading towards their direction. Her eyes widened a bit and immediately of instinct, her right hand-paw clutched the hilt of her fox-sized wakizashi and drew the weapon of its sheath. She turned to the opposite direction and raised her weapon with her left hand-paw grabbing the back of the blade.

And it was a good thing she did that, because as soon as she rose the blade upward, she blocked a mid-air vertical sweep from a lone swordsman and pushed upward with enough force to knock him back. But even after the mammal landed in their feet-paws, the mysterious person leaped several yards away from the doe.

“What the hell?!” Stu suddenly squeaked with shock from the unexpected attack to the point he literally had fallen backwards on the passenger's seat. He quickly recovered and moved his cap upward to see what the hell just happened.

“We were followed!” Judy growled, or as close to one considering she was a prey mammal, even when she cursed under her breath at this. How in the hell did she not notice this until now?! But no matter, because her 'Hitokiri' eyes immediately glance directly at the mammal in an attempt to identify their attacker.

But even as she did, Stu was also gazing directly at their attacker in an attempt to identify the mammal. One thing they knew right off the bat was the fact the mammal in question was obviously male, and a predator at that. In fact, they immediately discovered the predator was a Shiba Inu bearing tan and white fur colors on his body. His long, raven black hair had been tied back, bangs included, in a high ponytail. His torso was covered by a dark green montsuki shirt tucked into his midnight black hakama pants. But underneath the shirt was a black, tight fitting long john shirt that was most likely worn for extra warmth. His hand-paws were covered entirely by a pair of black leather gloves, with a pair of black samurai tekkou bracers covering his forearms and back of his hand-paws.

After seeing the articles of clothing, they immediately knew he wasn't amongst the Neo-Shinsengumi nor any of the other Neo-Shogunate forces. Yet he didn't look like he was dressed as one of the Neo-Imperialists either! Could he be a rouge swordsmammal who was on neither side and merely murdering mammals for their own benefit, or was he something else?

But they didn't linger on that question for long, because their eyes caught the most distinguishing trait of all. The Shiba's eyes were as red as blood itself, and they were gazing directly at the two rabbits before him.

More specifically, the female doe herself!

“So you must be the bunny responsible for the deaths of two hundred and fifty Neo-Shinsengumi soldiers”, the Shiba Inu spoke with a rather malicious grin on his face. However, right after saying those words, he rested the back of his sword on his right shoulder and his left hand-paw on his hip, even tapping the back of the blade on his shoulder a couple of times. “Man, I have to hand it to ya! It's not often I see prey mammals leap to the top of the food chain like that, but you're certainly an extraordinary case”, even as he gave the doe a commendation for the deaths she caused, that didn't ease the bunny one bit.

“Who are you?” Judy asked, her eyes narrowing slightly and tightening her grip on the hilt of her wakizashi. Instead of receiving an answer, all she got from the Shiba was a mere, sinister chuckle.

“My name is of no importance, bunny”, the shiba responded, yet he moved the blade from his right shoulder and raised it forward, gripping the bottom of the hilt with his left hand-paw. “All I care about is engaging in battle with the one who made herself into one of the deadliest hitokiris in the Kawasabus region!” right after the words left his mouth, the shiba started sprinting towards the doe with his blade pointing directly towards the woman herself. “And how can I not indulge myself in such a battle worthy of my time!” after the words left his mouth, he immediately raised his blade upward and attempted to strike her down with a fast vertical sweep.

Judy easily evaded the attack by jumping towards her left within a fraction of a second before the blade could strike her down. Stu jumped backwards into his truck when the blade drew close to striking him, but the only thing that happened was the driver's side took a bit of damage from the vertical sweep. Ignoring the buck's shocked cries, he turned to his right and started darting after the doe with his blade raised. His smirk widened even as he attempted to strike the bunny down with his blade.

Again, Judy easily evaded the attack easily, this time by blocking the attack with her fox-sized wakizashi. She punched the back of her blade with her left hand-paw with enough force to knock the shiba back somewhat, thus allowing her to jump several feet backwards from the canine. But that didn't stop him from trying to strike the bunny again with a different approach.

With quick haste, the shiba rushed towards the bunny doe and attempted to strike her with a diagonal sweep. Again, the bunny blocked it by raising her blade in the opposite direction, easily blocking her opponent's weapon with a loud ' _ **CLINK**_ ', which the noise became rapidly repetitive the more the assassin tried to strike Judy down, but to no avail.

Even as the fight continued to linger, Stu couldn't help but watch the ongoing battle with widened, horrified eyes. But even as the battle continued to linger, he had to admit watching her daughter fight like this… well, it was making him swell in… pride, maybe? He wasn't sure. But what he was aware of was the fact the ongoing battle was terrifying to watch, yet simultaneously exciting to say the least. Not on the fact her life (and perhaps his) was at stake, but with the thrill of the fight itself.

The same could be said with Judy herself, which the faintest smirk can be seen on her face even as she continued to fight against the mysterious assassin, whom she continued to block his attacks easily thanks to her swift speed. Her golden yellow eyes remain fixed upon her opponent's blood red, as if she were reading his movements by gazing into them. Whether by skill or coincidence, it seem to have worked… at least for now.

The shiba, on the other hand, while grinning widely with blood lust and from the thrill of the battle, started to become enraged at the inside. As much fun as he was having with fighting the doe, it was starting to become aggravating with the way she was blocking his attacks, let alone with a fox-sized wakizashi! He was honesty starting to run out of ideas with how to deal with this bunny sized problem.

That is until an idea suddenly struck his mind, and his grin widened just at the thought of it!

With haste, he suddenly jabs her in the stomach via knee kick, which was more than enough to knock her onto the ground and cause the doe to grab her stomach and start wheezing in pain. But he was far from done! The shiba ran towards the bunny and grabbed her by the collar of her hoodie with his left hand-paw, lifting her up easily because of her light weight.

The shiba aligned his sword with his left samurai tekkou bracer covered forearm and ensured the blade pointed upward, directly towards the bunny's right. Judy herself grabbed his forearm and was about to try and free herself from his grasp.

But an odd scent caused her nose to twitch with surprise and stopped her from trying to free herself.

“That scent…” Judy began in her mind, her left brow arching upward slightly in confusion, yet with an odd sense of familiarity. But by the time her eyes widened with shock upon recognizing the scent, the shiba immediately thrusted his blade downward slightly against the bracer with enough speed to ignite the garment, thus creating a small explosion powerful enough to not only blow the bunny almost across the other side of the parking garage, but with enough firepower to blow the front portion of her hoodie off.

“JUDY!” Stu shouted shortly after witnessing his daughter being blown across the room, his eyes wide and mouth agape in terror. His hearted pounded heavily with fear and started searching his truck frantically for something he could use against the assassin.

But while Stu was searching his truck, Judy was struggling a bit to get back onto her feet-paws, grunting in pain not only from the knee jab earlier, but also from the force of the explosion as well. She was admittedly surprised the explosion didn't kill her, but grateful to be alive nonetheless. She used her weapon to help support herself enough to get her back onto her feet-paws, yet her left hand-paw kept itself wrapped onto her stomach. Her eyes were half-lidded and her brows were furrowed at the sight of the shiba. She was about to sprint towards the predator with her right hand-paw tightening her grip on the blade.

But when the shiba passed through a light that was enough to reflect off its blade, her eyes widened with the odd discovery she made, her eyes now drawn towards the serrated sharp edge the shiba's blade.

“What the hell…?” Judy thought within her mind with her mouth opened slightly agape. “His sword's… like a damn saw tooth”, as that thought left her mind, she looked up towards the assassin, seeing the toothy grin he was giving her even as he drew close to her.

“Man, you're definitely something else, bunny. That's the first time I've seen someone survive the Ni no Hiken: Guren Kaina head on”, the shiba chuckled with his words even a he placed the back of his blade against his right shoulder, drawing closer to the bunny even as Judy gripped the bottom of the hilt with her left hand-paw.

“Ni no Hiken: Guren Kaina?” Judy asked with confusion in her voice, arching her right brow upward slightly even as her eyes remained narrowed.

“Second Secret Sword: Crimson Lotus Arm”, the assassin answered. “Its one of the three sword techniques that requires the use of gunpowder and applying it onto one of my garments”, he explained, his left hand-paw reaching into his hakama pants pocket and pulling another from it, using his right to put the garment onto his left forearm while holding his sword. “In this case, my tekkou bracer”, he finished with a chuckle, yet Judy furrowed her brows to the point she gave him a toothy growl, or as much of one as she could muster considering she was mere prey.

“Then how did you ignite the damn thing? Even with a sawtooth blade like yours, thrusting your sword can't be enough to ignite it!” as those words left Judy's mouth, the assassin furrowed his brows and faltered his grin only the slightest.

“Aw, sawtooth blade? How rude”, the shiba sarcastically replied, right before moving the blade from his shoulder and moving it forward, the blade pointing towards his left and revealing the blade towards the bunny. “But if you're that damn insistent on knowing, I'll go ahead and tell you. You're right on the fact the blade by itself can't ignite the gunpowder applied to the tekkou bracer”, he paused for a moment enough to widen the toothy grin plastered on his face, and widen his narrowed eyes only the slightest. “But using the substances soaked on the blade after killing so many mammals in a mere day, that is more than enough to ignite the gunpowder with a single thrust”, even as the words left his mouth, it took roughly a good moment for the information to sink in. And when it did, her eyes widen with shock and looked up at the shiba himself.

“You mean you're telling me that blade's been soaked by mammalian fats and body oils?!” Judy yelled upon asking that question, and honestly couldn't help but gag a bit from discovering this new found information.

Hell, even Stu visibly cringed upon hearing this, but that didn't stop him from searching his truck frantically for something he could use to fend the assassin off.

“That's exactly what I'm implying, bunny!” shortly after those words left the shiba's mouth, the assassin leaned his upper body forward slightly and started sprinting towards the doe. “And yours will be NEXT!” it was then, the battle between the assassin and Judy Hopps resumed where it left off, where, despite her injuries from the explosion, Judy sprinted towards the shiba and continued clashing her fox-sized wakizashi against the serrated blade.

But as the battle between the two continued on, Stu was frantically searching the back of his truck for anything that could be of use. By far, all he found for the most part were nothing but a bunch of fruits, vegetables, straps to keep the cargo secured, none of which were useful in this particular case.

But one crate he hadn't checked in particular had caught his eye, and was the one thing he hadn't checked just yet.

Grabbing a crowbar attached to the left side of the crate, he sticks the sharp end of it into the top of it and began prying it open. Up and down he moved the crowbar, the lid nailed onto the crate slowly began to separate from the box. The buck applied as much force as he could in an attempt to pop the top off the crate, gritting his teeth and closing his eyes as a result of the amount of force he was exerting to open it.

But once he applied his body by jumping upward, he manages to pop the top off and open the crate! The buck threw the crowbar onto the floorboard and began examining the contents within. Yet all he found inside were numerous bottles of alcoholic apple cider within, much to his disappointment. His relieved smile began to falter into a frown…

…until a shiny, metallic object within the back left corner caught his eye. He reached into the crate and grabbed the small object, or rather three tied into one, and pulled it out. As soon as he did, along with catching strings, his eyes widened with shock upon what it was!

“Good god! What the hell's this thing doing in the crate the Jenkins' gave us?!” Stu asked himself upon seeing this and contemplated on getting rid of it. But an idea suddenly sparked in his mind. It was a risky and dangerous idea, but an idea nonetheless! One that might help them get out of this hellhole he and his daughter bestow upon.

That was the instant he began his search for something to ignite the fuse connecting the three sticks of bunny sized dynamite.

As he did that, Judy and the mysterious assassin continued to clash blades against one another, neither one of them faltering in terms of skill. Both of them were ready to kill the other to decide the winner of this battle, one for the benefiting pleasure of themselves, and the other to get the hell out of this place. Blades hit one another with repetitive ' _ **CLINK**_ ' and ' _ **CLANK**_ ' noises echoing the walls of the basement level parking garage.

Soon, however, the assassin jumped several feet away from the bunny and placed the sharp end of his blade against the top of his sheath. This was the moment Judy sought the opportunity to strike her opponent down once and for all. She sprinted towards him and placed the wakizashi inside the sheath, planning to strike him down with the a battojutsu attack. She got close and gripped the hilt of her sword as tightly as she could and prepared to unsheathe the sword for the killing blow.

But she didn't expect the assassin to strike her with a similar stance, nor did she expect the blade to ignite from the friction of his sword pressing against the scabbard.

She stopped dead on her tracks and jumped away from the shiba's attack. While his blade didn't touch a single part of her body, the flame that ignited on the blade struck the upper part of her right arm, scorching some of the sleeve off before the bunny used her left to pat the fire out quickly. A grunt of pain had left her mouth and her mouth seethed with her buck teeth showing. She closed her eyes only for a moment, but reopened and glared at the assassin's scarlet red with her hitokiri, golden yellow pair.

“Damn, you're rather persistent, aren't ya, rabbit?!” the assassin asked with a growl in his voice, his eyes widening and his grin faltering only slightly, but enough to reveal his annoyance towards the rabbit. “As much fun as I'm having with this battle, its time we end this now!!” right after the shiba said those words, he started sprinting directly towards the rabbit in a speed that matched, even rivaled the Battousai's own.

“I agree!” even as the doe herself agreed with his words, Judy darted directly towards the assassin's direction with her blade raised to her right side, ready to end the battle with his death and get the hell out of this god forsaken place…

But her right ear suddenly perked upward and caught the fain sound of sizzling coming from the truck. She turned her head to the right and her eyes widened with surprise upon seeing her father carrying what appeared to be three bunny-sized stick's of dynamite strapped together.

And it seemed her father was just about ready to hurl the damn thing directly towards their direction.

“Jude! Get out of the way!” Stu shouted loud enough to catch the assassin's attention, causing him to turn his head directly towards the buck himself. But by the time he did, the male rabbit had already threw the conjoined sticks of dynamite towards their direction. Judy immediately jumped backwards and dashed as far away from the scene as possible, yet even the assassin himself attempted to flee as far from the bomb as possible.

Alas, despite the assassin's great speed, he wasn't fast enough to avoid the conjoined dynamite's blast radius. The bomb exploded with a loud ' _ **BA-CHOOM**_ ' and not only managed to knock the assassin towards the other side of the basement level parking garage, but even blew up three other bunny to wolf sized vehicles within the blast radius. The raging flames started to scorch the other parts of the parking garage, even to the point the flames started reaching the other vehicles within the parking garage, bound to explode and worsen the damage at any given moment.

Judy's eyes started scouting for her father in hopes he managed to get out of the way in time. Her eyes started to widen when she saw no signs of him anywhere, nor of the truck for that matter. She quickly sheathed her fox-sized wakizashi and cupped her hand-paws in front of her mouth into a megaphone shape, preparing to call her father's name whether in vain or not.

But a loud, honking horn stopped her from such actions, and caused the doe to turn towards her left. Her eyes widened with surprise and a loud gasp left her mouth out of relief. Her father had not only somehow managed to get out alive, but even managed to get the truck out of the way fast enough to avoid the blast radius. How he did it, she didn't know, nor did she care for that matter.

Stu reached for the passenger side door and opened it quickly, pushing it open and gazing at his daughter with terrified, widened eyes.

“Get in!” right after Stu shouted those words, Judy wasted no time jumping into the truck and buckling herself in. She immediately shut the door right after placing the wakizashi on the floorboard, and that alone immediately prompted the buck to press the gas pedal and haul ass out of the parking garage. And it was a good thing, too, because the flames that spreaded throughout the basement level parking garage started to ignite the other remaining vehicles almost immediately

Hell, if he hadn't pressed the gas so hard, there would've been no chance they would've escaped the next set of explosions alive.

Now that they were out of the confining basement level parking garage, Stu immediately turned left, wanting to get away from the bloody chaos that surrounded the city. His eyes stayed focused on the road ahead and, while the flames continued to rage and the violence persisted, started to decline enough for him to drive along the roads without any difficulty. But regardless of the growing chaos, one thought coursed his, no, both he and his daughter's minds.

They finally had the means to get out of this hell hole! They were finally free from the Neo-Shogunate's grasp!

The two continued to drive along the road for about several minutes, mainly to avoid many of the civilians roaming the rural city and crossfire, before they reached the highway. Turning right onto the highway as they did, they head to the east and into the beginning of their long journey home.

“Wow, um, heh eh… we finally escaped that god forsaken town”, Stu spoke nervously, albeit with a large amount of relief in his tone. “Phew! I literally thought we were gonna die from that explosion. Who would've though the Jenkins' knew to make bombs that packed quite the-” the buck continued even as he turned to face his daughter…

Yet when he did, he noticed the stern look Judy bore didn't falter a single bit, nor did her golden yellow color eyes return to their normal amethyst color. The doe was currently holding the weapon with her right hand-paw and had her thumb placed on the guard, the weapon pushed upward slightly enough to reveal part of the short sword's sharp blade.

“Keep driving”, Judy calmly ordered, albeit with a slight gruff in her voice to push the sternness of her voice across. “There might be others out there trying to hunt us down”, at first, Stu gave his daughter a bewildered look upon hearing such information. However, he nodded with understanding shortly after and turned back to face the road, his eyes slightly narrowing, yet filling with focus to compensate his narrowing vision.

Judy's eyes remained fixed on the road, her ears perked upward, and her right hand-paw remained tightly gripped on her weapon. Her left hand-paw even grasped the middle of the sheath and kept a right grip on it… just in case. The adrenaline that filled her body started to drain, and the pain from the previous battle began to intensify at a greater level, albeit gradually. But she ignored the pain and kept silent about it. She wasn't gonna give her father something else to worry about, nor did she plan on losing her guard for a moment.

Not even the slightest moment…

* * *

 

Completely unaware to them, however, from the top of a building two blocks from the parking garage, a pair of blood red eyes watched the Hopps Family Farm truck drive away from the burning city with a pair of customized binoculars. A grin began to form on his muzzle even as the mammal lowered the binoculars to his right side. The light from the raging fires below reflected off the mammal's form and revealed to be the shiba inu who fought and attempted to slay Judy in the parking garage.

He had suffered some injuries after the explosion had occurred, yet none of them were life threatening. His left cheek and the right side of his chest had suffered some lacerations from rocks or metallic objects slicing his furred flesh, yet were not deep enough for the shiba to seek medical attention. The clothes covering his upper body had been lacerated to the point only the left side remained on his body, and the right hung from his waist. Parts of his upper body, mainly the right side, had suffered enough burns to where some patches of his fur were missing.

But despite the injuries he sustained, burns or lacerations, he merely continued to grin towards the direction he saw the truck head towards. And only one thing coursed his mind.

“You've may have won this battle… but I promise we will meet again one day…” the shiba thought within his mind, crossing his arms before narrowing his eyes slightly, with two words leaving his mouth.

Two words that would soon, unbeknownst to him, become known all across the entire Kawasabus Region in the midst of all this chaos.

“ _Hitokiri_ Hopps…”


End file.
